


The Yellow Sea (Shipping Prompt Challenge)

by Greenhand



Category: Monster Prom (Visual Novel)
Genre: 28 Day Ship It Challenge, F/M, other characters make cameos, otp prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-13 17:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 23,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17492000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenhand/pseuds/Greenhand
Summary: This is based on the Lover's Choice Writing Prompt meme from Tumblr. Every day throughout February 2019, I'll be posting a new chapter based on the given prompt. There will also be a 'free prompt' of my choice every Thursday.Each chapter will vary in length and content, and will be non-continuous from each other.Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this Miranda x Oz goodness!Also: Huge thanks to SEGASister to helping out with some chapters!





	1. Late Night

_“You may now kiss the bride…”_

Oz’s head snapped back up. He caught himself on the verge of falling asleep. He rubbed his eyes, and the phobias on his shoulders yawned softly. He looked down at his watch. 12:37 AM… Gods, it was late. The movie on the T.V. was still going, playing one of those late-night romance movie marathons… the volume turned low enough for everyone around him to stay asleep. The only other sound in the room was the wind howling outside Oz’s windows.

Vicky and Liam were curled up at the other side of the couch, with a blanket shared between them. Brian had left on his own a while ago; said he had something important to attend to. And Amira and Scott were on the floor together, with their backs against the sofa. Some movie night this was turning out to be…

But someone was missing… there was an empty space on the sofa, right beside Oz. Where did Miranda go?

As if on cue, she emerged from the kitchen. In her hands were two mugs, with steam faintly rising from the rims. She stifled a yawn as she gently sat back down beside Oz.

“Cocoa?” She offered, handing a mug to Oz. “It’s rather chilly tonight.”

“Thanks.” Oz softly answered. He took a sip, and looked back to the princess. Even in the dark living room, she was as beautiful as the day her first met her. It almost felt like he was dreaming now. “We should… probably pack it in for the night, huh?”

“Perhaps…” Miranda mused, taking a slow drink from her own mug. She laid her head against Oz’s shoulder, cuddling up against him. “But not yet. I’d like to stay like this for a little...”

“I can do that…” Oz sighed, allowing them to get a little closer on the couch.

The movie on screen was rolling through it's credits now... no doubt that a new flick would start shortly after. Might as well watch just one more...


	2. Night In

 

“And, done.” Oz sighed, giving a deep breath of relief as he shut his text book. It took some time, but he was finally done cramming for next week’s exam. All those hours spent pouring over the textbook and writing so many notes his fingers were covered in blisters. But enough of that shit! The time for cramming was over! His schedule was clear, now... and it was time to reward himself.

Oz confidently strode out of his bedroom and down the stairs. He kicked off his shoes along the way, and unbuttoned his cardigan.

When he came around to his living room, he found the girl who had been waiting for him all evening.

Miranda, huddled on the sofa, wrapped in a cozy blanket, with a box of pizza and pack of sodas beside her. On the T.V., Webflix was open, as they prepared to binge-watch the entirety of  _ Strangest Occurrences. _

Heaven never looked so good. Oz dimmed the lights, and joined Miranda on the couch. She wore a simple hoodie with sweatpants, sacrificing her crown and gown for a more comfortable outfit.

That was the key word here… comfortable. Why bother getting all gussied up for an overpriced restaurant out of town, when you could stay home with someone you cherish? Miranda was allowed to unwind from her ‘royal duties’ every once in a while…

“All finished?” The mermaid asked, laying her head on Oz’s shoulder.

“Yup… I’m all yours now…” He answered, giving her a quick peck on the forehead.

They pressed play, cracked open a drink, and just relaxed. This was what weekends (and love) were all about. Doing jack shit with the one you love. 

 

By the time he woke up the next morning, everything was exactly how it should have been. Just him and Miranda… and plenty of time to be as lazy as they wanted.


	3. Beach Picnic

“Woooo! Beach par- _tay_!” Polly hollered, leading the way as she barrelled down the dunes towards the water.

Oz and Liam stayed behind as the others trailed down to the sand. Neither of them were really fond of the summer sun. Oz was already sweating like a pig, and Liam… well, he would literally catch fire. Both of them stood under a wide umbrella, carrying it and their towels down onto the beach.

“So… hot.” Oz groaned, wiping his brow.

“Just kill me now…” Liam added.

But, there was a respite up ahead… coming in the form of seeing Miranda waiting for him in a swimsuit… with a cold drink.

“M-maybe the beach isn’t as bad as I thought.” Oz quietly told himself. Liam simply rolled his eyes.

By the time the two of them joined the others, Scott and Polly were already tossing a frisbee down the length of the beach. Well… Scott was more ‘retrieving’ than throwing.

Vicky and Amira were busy burying Brian in the sand, and forming a castle around his exposed head. Brian certainly wasn’t complaining, seeing as he had fallen asleep already.

Vera sat beside Miranda, waiting expectantly for Liam and Oz to catch up.

“Took you long enough. Where is my shade?” The gorgon sneered.

Liam grumbled something under his breath about giving her some ‘real’ shade as he and Oz set up their umbrellas beside the girls.

It was still hot as sin, but the shade did help quite a bit. In fact, it was a little bit cooler after an incoming water balloon impacted against Vera, and catching the others with the splash.

Vera angrily stood up, her snakes in a frenzy as she began to chase after Damien. “That’s it! You just lost your living privileges!” She hissed.

Miranda stifled a giggle, watching her storm off. Oz couldn’t but help but laugh a little, too. And after a while, Liam pulled out his phone, making sure to stay out of the summer sunshine.

“This is nice…” Oz sighed, taking a sip of a soda he pulled from the cooler.

“Really?” Miranda asked. “I thought you didn’t like such heat.”

“Well… yeah.” He laughed. “Honestly, I could do without that. But… you’re here, so that’s a bonus.”

“Here.” The mermaid said, pulling a popsicle out from the cooler. “It’s a good thing there’s only one left…”

“There’s clearly, like, twelve more in the box.” Liam pointed out. Miranda only pushed the cooler aside.

“Like I said, only one left.” Miranda repeated, still smiling. She unwrapped it, and held it out to Oz’s face.

He hesitated, but ultimately decided to humor Miranda. His face began to split open, and where his mouth _would_ be was a jagged maw, complete with a long, pink tongue giving the frozen treat a lick.

“So cute!” Miranda giggled, sharing the popsicle with Oz.

“Really?” Liam groaned. “Just get a room, you two.”

“Fine. Maybe we will.” Miranda huffed. “Come on, Oz. Let’s go swimming.”

“W-what?” He stammered. “Uh… s-sure…”

The mermaid dragged Oz out into the sun, and he instantly felt his dark body absorbing the heat… only to be met with the cold splash of saltwater, covering his entire body. And with Miranda’s swimming skills, he was pulled quite deep… deeper than expected.

His chest started to burn… he held his breath, and tried to get Miranda to release him. His eyes hadn’t adjusted to the water yet, but he could make out her pink form right in front of him.

He was met with her lips against his own. She held it for a long time, and Oz felt the air return to his lungs… and he felt… safe. As Miranda pulled away, he held his breath again…

“Well… nice and cool down here for a while, hmm?” Miranda asked, her voice crystal clear in the water.

“Mmm… hmm?” Oz answered.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe down here…” Miranda smiled, bringing him in for another kiss.

The air returned to Oz’s lungs once more. The beach certainly wasn’t as bad as he thought… maybe he should come down here more often.


	4. Stargazing

A clear summer night. Perfect for this sort of thing. Stargazing was romantic, right? Oz certainly hoped so. It was just about 10 PM, and the stars were bright enough to see from the hill just outside the neighborhood. Of course, you’d have to travel beyond the city of Monstropolis to actually see the starlit night sky. So that’s what Oz did. He and Miranda were currently on their way to the outskirts to gaze at the stars. There was no meteor shower going on; he just wanted her to see the night sky.

Oz and Miranda were seated on the hood of his car, looking at the stars. Miranda’s bodyguards were nearby, ready to take down anyone even thinking about ruining their date. It’s not as private as Oz wanted it to be, but at least the guards weren’t sitting in the back seat like they were earlier.

“So… which star is that?” Miranda asked, pointing out to the night sky.

“Actually, that’s Venus.” Oz said. “See how bright and big it is?”

“It  _ is _ bright.” Miranda mused. “It’s named after the goddess of beauty, correct? It’s only fitting that I should set foot on it one day.”

“Well, it’s atmosphere is horribly toxic…” Oz reminded. “I don’t think that’s fitting for you at all.”

“Toxic? Really?”

“Yeah. It’s mostly made of CO 2 and sulfur dioxide, and it’s impossibly hot due to it being nearly 90 times the pressure of Ea-”

Oz caught himself short. He looked back at Miranda, who just stared at him… totally blank.

“Uh, I mean…” He began. “It’s made of air-people farts.”

“Ugh! Who knew that Venus could be so…  _ uncouth! _ ” Miranda shuddered. “No matter. I’ll just ask Daddy to see if he’ll destroy Venus later.”

“Uh…

“Ooh! What about that!?” Miranda asked, pointing up to another glimmering light that caught her eye.

“That’s Alpha Centauri. It’s the second-closest observable star to Earth.” Oz answered.

“Oh? Then what’s the closest?” Miranda asked.

“That would be the Sun.”

“But… the Sun isn’t a star… is it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“But the Sun is a sun!” Miranda protested. “I don’t understand!”

“It  _ is _ a star… but we just call it “Sun”.” Oz explained.

“Call it ‘son’? Does that mean we’re its parents?”

Oz nervously coughed. Hearing Miranda say the words “we” and “parents” together made him imagine some things… things he wasn’t ready for yet.

“Uhh… N-not that type of ‘son’.” He stammered. 

“Mmmm… this is far too confusing.” Miranda sighed. “Why can’t space just be simple?”

“Well… it’s big.” Oz sighed. “So… unimaginably big. And we’re… just so small.”

The two said nothing for a while… a chilly breeze swept over them as they looked out into the void above.

“So small… so lonely.”

Suddenly, Oz felt a pair of arms embrace him. Miranda nuzzled against Oz’s shoulder as he shivered. She didn’t like seeing him like this.

“But we’re not alone.” Miranda responded, smiling. “I have you, and you have me.”

“Yeah…” Oz began. The anxiety creeping up on him quickly started to fade. His fingers clasped the hands holding onto him, and squeezed gently. “We do...” At that moment, the pair saw a star shoot across the sky. Miranda instantly shot up, closed her eyes and crossed her fingers. 

“Making a wish?” Oz asked, seeing her get excited over a little shooting star.

“Mmhmm!” Miranda nodded. Oz, in solidarity, followed in suit, sitting up and crossing his fingers.

“So… what did you wish for?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you, silly!” Miranda laughed. “Wishes don’t come true if you tell someone!”

“Right…” Oz chuckled nervously.

“What about you? Aren’t you going to make a wish?”

“I would… but to be honest, my greatest wish already came true.” He said, looking over at his lovely sea star, who then gave him a kiss. He had wished that this was actually real, and not a dream. And considering she was now kissing him on the hood of his car, he concluded that yeah, this was real.


	5. Cooking Together

DING!

“Ah, it’s finished!” Oz said. “I’ll be right back.”

He excused himself from the table, leaving Miranda alone with Brian and Zoe for the moment. Ever since Brian let Zoe out of her eldritch totem, the two have been getting along quite well ever since.  _ Very _ well, even. And now that the two were ‘official’, Oz and Miranda thought it was best to give them a nice dinner together. A dinner double date, if you will.

Oz stepped into the kitchen, donning his oven mitts as approached the boiling pot on the stove. Miranda had supplied him with a large, healthy lobster, and Oz handled the rest. He could already taste it’s warm, buttery flavor.

But instead, his senses were assaulted as he lifted the lid to the pot. Smoke billowed out into his face, and he suppressed the urge to gag, covering his nose instinctually. It smelled… awful. And that was putting it kindly.

How do I describe this… It smelled like a bowl of five-alarm chili was left out in the sun for a week. Then a family of leprose rats ate half of it, died in the pot, and was left alone for another week… and then the maggots living in it all took up smoking, and used the pot as a spitoon. That’s what it smelled like. Oh, and the maggots didn’t wash their hands. Gross.

Luckily for me, the narrator, I’m not actually there to witness such a crime against the senses. Oz, on the other hand, had to put up with it first-hand. He pulled his shirt over his face, and wiped the tears from his eyes to get a look at what was supposed to be the perfect meal.

What he saw was certainly the lobster Miranda had supplied. But it was far from right. Oz was no marine biologist, but he knew lobsters weren’t supposed to be… whatever color that was. He reached out with the tongs, pulling it out from the boiling water that was now a sickly shade of brown. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the lobster’s shell was dripping with a purple sludge… this was  _ not _ how it looked in the cookbook. Giving the lobster a poke with a fork, the shell only squished like a balloon full of vegemite.

Oz placed the lobster down on it’s tray, and stepped away to figuratively hack his lungs out.

“Oz? What’s wrong?” Miranda asked, entering the kitchen. “And… ugh! What is  _ that _ !?” She added, covering her nose after getting a whiff of the lobster.

“I don’t know!” Oz cried. “I-I followed the recipe exactly! It shouldn’t have turned out like this!”

“Erm…”

“I used all the right seasoning… I cooked it at exactly the right temperature for exactly the right time… I don’t understand!”

“Oz?”

“Huh?”

Miranda paused for a moment. “You cut out the venom glands, right?” She muttered.

“What?” Oz asked, looking over to Miranda. “Lobsters aren’t venomous...”

“Not the Common Atlantic lobster, no. But I brought a rare Mariana Trench lobster from my family’s hatchery. And those are a delicacy, as long as the venom glands are properly extracted.” She explained. “If you don’t, then they rupture in boiling temperatures like…  _ that. _ ” Miranda coughed, looking back at the rancid shellfish.

“You got a venomous lobster for dinner and didn’t think to tell me!?” Oz shouted, but keeping his voice hushed so their guests wouldn’t overhear from the dining room.

“I thought you knew!” Miranda replied. “Have you never eaten lobster before?”

“Not venomous ones, no!” Oz retorted.

“I’m sorry… You were working so hard on this meal, and I thought you would handle it.” Miranda said dejectedly. “But I ruined it! If only I brought along my chef serf!”

“Miri… it’s okay. Neither of us knew.” Oz assured. “But right now, Brian and Zoe are waiting for something. Maybe we can come up with something else…”

“On such short notice?” Miranda asked. “I am unsure… what if we purchase fast food and disguise it as our own cooking?”

“No… we can’t do that again!” Oz answered. “Not after what happened  _ last time… _ ” Oz was about to enter a flashback when a soft voice from the doorway asked, “Can’t do what again?” Miranda and Oz nearly jumped to see Zoe watching them.

“Oh! Zoe! W-we’re nearly finished!” Miranda stammered, putting on a fake smile.

“Y-yeah, just getting the finishing touches!” Oz added.

Zoe’s green eyes lead her to spot the discolored lobster, and eagerly approached it. “Oh, it looks wonderful!” She remarked. Zoe dipped her finger into the strange purple ooze, before tasting it. “Hmm… needs a little something.” She muttered, reaching for a shaker of garlic powder with her tentacle. She sprinkled a generous helping of garlic on the lobster, using up nearly all of the powder.

“Ah, much better.” Zoe remarked after a second taste test.

Oz and Miranda gave each other some non-verbal gestures behind Zoe’s back.

_ “She likes it!?” _

_ “I don’t know, maybe?” _

_ “Do we serve it? There’s no way Brian will like it, too.” _

_ “We have to try! It’s all we have left!” _

“Ahem… we certainly hope you’re hungry!” Miranda said aloud again. She adorned the oven mitts, picked up the lobster, and carried it into the dining room, doing her best not to breathe through her nose.

Oz was still doubtful… but this was all they could do!

“Bon appetit!” Miranda nervously said, setting the green lobster down in front of her friends.

“Thank you so much!” Zoe smiled. The tentacles sprouting from her head wasted no time breaking off a claw of the lobsters, and moving it to her mouth. She swallowed it all, even the shell, without so much as a cough or a gag. I suppose ancient lovecraftian deities have a different set of table manners. “Delicious!”

Wait… really? Oz and Miranda looked at each other, equally confused. Okay… the eldritch amalgamation of tentacles and unblinking eyes liked the spoiled seafood… good to know.

But what of Brian? He took his fork and pulled out the lobster meat from the inside. The smell didn’t even seem to bother him. There wasn’t a bit of hesitation as he bit into the meat…

“Yeah… that’s pretty good.” Brian muttered. “I’m not that into seafood, but this isn’t half bad…”

Now that was a surprise… How could something smell so rancid, but taste so good to these two?

“Aren’t you two going to have any?” Zoe politely asked.

“O-oh! Uh, right…” Oz said. He and Miranda cracked their own lobster pieces for themselves… but were hesitant. Giving each other and affirming nod, both took a bite of their monstrous creation.

And… it was delectable! It might have horribly assaulted the nose, but the tongue was a different story. It tasted a lot like garlic, but there wasn’t a hint of venom in the meat. The couple was pleasantly surprised to taste such a thing… even the smell wasn’t an issue anymore. Maybe that venom wasn’t as lethal as they once thought… 

“It’s… great!” Oz said softly.

“What, was it not supposed to be?” Brian joked.

“Uh, nothing.” Oz answered.

He gave Miranda a relieved look. They both considered themselves extremely lucky for this dish to turn out the way it did… who would have thought garlic powder made a good antivenom? Still, they probably wouldn’t risk deviating from the recipe again…

And, as long as Brian and Zoe were satisfied, so were they.


	6. Serenade

“Surprise him?” Miranda asked. “You mean, startle him? He’s easily startled.”

“No, silly!” Polly laughed. “I mean you should do something special for him. He’s already done a lot for you.”

“I suppose you’re right… but what am I to do?”

“Sing him a song, buy him a yacht. I don’t know.” Polly sighed with a dismissive wave. "That's what rich people do when they love each other, right? Buy each other yachts?"

“Polina, I do not believe those two things are of equal value…”

“Whatever. I’m like, super baked anyway.” The ghost laughed. “You’ll think of something.” She added, before phasing out, and leaving Miranda alone in the library.

“Think of something…” Miranda muttered. “Ah, yes! I’ll consult my thinking serf! Oh, Reginald?” She called out, only for no serf to join her.

“Ah… that’s right. I had him executed…” She cursed. “I wonder if my minstrel serfs still alive. I should fetch him from the dungeons…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Oz peeled his eyes open as the radio alarm lulled him out from his slumber. He tossed in his bed a while, fumbling for the snooze button. Wait a second… Oz didn’t have a radio alarm. But… where was that music coming from? He slowly got up, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he heard the melody coming from outside his window. Who in their right mind would be playing music at 7 AM?

Apparently, Miranda, as she stood just outside Oz’s house, accompanied by several instrument-playing serfs. Her eyes lit up as she saw Oz looking down to her, and began her performance.

Of course, her voice was heavenly… hearing her sing made Oz melt, and fall in love with her all over again.

 

…

_ I give him all my love _

_ That’s all I do _

_ And if you saw my love _

_ You’d love him too _

_ I love him _

 

_ He gives me everything _

_ And tenderly _

_ The kiss my lover brings _

_ He brings to me _

_ And I love him _

 

_ A love like ours _

_ Could never die _

_ As long as I _

_ Have you near me _

 

_ Bright are the stars that shine _

_ Dark is the sky _

_ I know this love of mine _

_ Will never die _

_ And I love him _

 

_ Bright are the stars that shine _

_ Dark is the sky _

_ I know this love of mine _

_ Will never die _

_ And I love him… _


	7. Long Time, No See

Today was supposed to be the day.

 

Miranda had been gone for a few months now… off to some college upstate. All while Oz was stuck in Monstropolis, working freelance to pay the bills and pay off his car. Ever since the two split in the spring, they kept in touch with each other… mostly by phone… but never in person. And as the weeks rolled by, it was easy to see the toll it was taking on Oz. Being seperated from her… it made Oz sound so tired. So empty and… hollow.

 

It was only recently when Oz found out when Miranda would be coming back. He marked the date on his calendar, and personally planned to welcome her back. 

 

Today was going to be the day. He had been waiting so, so long.

 

And it was raining cats and dogs.

 

Oz stood on the platform at Monstropolis Central… one of the older train stations in town, that lead a single track of rails alongside it. His suit was soaked, despite the umbrella he held over him. He should have prepared for this… he should have listened to that weather report.

 

He arrived in the morning, standing at the platform, letting the rain pour over him for hours and hours… it’s a good thing fear itself couldn’t catch pneumonia. Oz didn’t even know when her train was set to arrive. Out of all the trains stopping in Monstropolis, he would wait through every single one… just for the chance to see her as soon as he could.

 

“You can sit down on the bench, you know.” Brian said. How long was he standing there?

 

“I-I know… I just… What are you doing here?” Oz asked, looking back down the platform, out in the distance.

 

“Vicky told me you were here…” The zombie answered, popping open an umbrella of his own. “She was worried about you.”

 

“Worried?” Oz repeated. “Why?”

 

“You haven’t been yourself.” Brian answered. “You’re even more closed-off than usual, and that’s saying a lot.”

 

Oz gave no response. Only the sound of rainfall filled the air around them… for what seemed like the longest time.

 

“I miss her.” He answered.

 

“It shows.” Brian sighed. “She… really means that much to you, huh?”

“You don’t even know the half of it.”

 

“Look, man… It’s not cool, seeing you like this.” Brian said. “I know you miss her, but she’ll be back. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

 

“I know.”

 

“So… don’t get yourself so worked up. She’ll be fine.”

 

“I-I know!” Oz said. He now had Brian’s attention. Normally, he didn’t raise his voice at  _ anything _ …

 

“I-I… I’m sorry. But I can’t help it.” He continued. “Being anxious is just… who I am.”

 

Brian sighed. Oz was right. He just wouldn’t be himself if he wasn’t worrying over one thing or another. The zombie put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, and tried to come up with the right words.

 

“Look, man… she probably misses you just as much.” Brian sighed. He looked over at Oz, seeing him take a deep breath.

 

“Thanks…” He answered. Oz was hard to read right now. He just kept staring off into space, waiting to see any train approaching.

 

“I should go…” Brian remarked, after another pause. “Take care of yourself, Oz.”

 

“...”

 

“I mean it, man.”

 

Oz didn’t watch as Brian walked away. A shiver tore through him in the cold wind and rain. He was on his own again… he hated this feeling. He considered everything he could’ve done… but nothing came up. Time just seemed so still.

 

The sound of metal wheels rolling and brakes squealing began to overpower the noise of the downpour. Oz snapped to attention, seeing another train pull into the station. His hand gripped the umbrella with anticipation.

 

The train cars pulled up to the platform, and several monsters began pouring out. It was a rush of mummies, shades, ogres, and everything in between. As the passengers departed, they pushed past Oz to seek refuge from the rain. He had to hold his ground to keep himself from being caught up in the rush of monsters.

 

As their numbers thinned, Oz’s attention turned back to the car. His eyes darted about, looking for his princess. Nothing… maybe she was in the crowd. Did he miss her? Oz turned around, scanning the mass of monsters that passed by a second ago… where was she? His back was turned when he heard the train start again. No! Nononono! He didn’t want to wait anymore!

 

“Miranda?!” He called out. He hoped he would hear her… if she was here at all. The clamour around him was too loud… the voices, the train, the weather… he heard nothing above it all. His heart sank, but there was a tapping on his shoulder.

 

Oz slowly turned only to be met with a fair of soft, familiar lips. Miranda stood on the balls of her feet to reach Oz’s lips, and held his head in her hands.

 

The initial shock was quickly replaced with relief and joy… Oz returned the kiss, dropping his umbrella to hold Miranda close to him. The rain quickly soaked both of them, but neither of them seemed to mind.

 

“I… I missed you.” Oz said, his voice shaky. Were those tears on his face, or just the rain?

 

“As did I…” Miranda replied. “How long has it been?”

 

“Too long.” Oz answered. 


	8. Bad Dreams

Miranda awoke to a sound she never heard before. As quickly as it stirred her from her slumber, it was gone… almost ringing in her ears. She gripped the covers tightly, as a sense of dread washed over her. Something was wrong in her room.

That sound again. What was it? It was like… a low buzzing… or a crackling. It was much quieter this time, but she could track its source. It came from right beside her… under the covers.

“Oz?” She quietly whispered, sitting up, and using the blanket to cover herself.

The monster beside her didn’t respond. He only… twitched. Spasmed, even. And with every shake of his body, a sound escaped from him. Quiet, quick noises… and that unnerving aura… it was coming from him.

“O-ozzy?” Miranda asked, a little louder this time. She reached out for him, touching his back when-

“G̷͈ET͚̪̻̗ ̷̻A̡̩̤̦W̤͓A̱̫͓̫̼͝Y̫!̶͕̠̲̬̠ L҉͔͔̦E̠̩̫͖͈͖͇A̟̤̦̰̩V̤͎̩E̴͚̯̫̖̗̤ͅ ̺̮M̢͙̜E͖̫ ̨̖͚͔̰̳Ạ̪͚̕L̸O͏͇͕N̠̞̪̯͝E͇̗̣̻͜!̫̕” Oz shouted, shooting up from the bed. Miranda let out a quick shriek, recoiling as Oz sat up quickly. His body was blacker than ever before, making the surrounding darkness look like moonlight. His eyes were nothing more than white voids of static, and his breathing sounded just as haggard and unnatural as his cries. Dark tendrils of ink lashed off his shoulders, bearing faces of their own.

“O-Oz!? Ozzy, you’re scaring me!” Miranda whimpered, scampering a small ways back on her queen-sized bed.

This…  _ thing _ turned to face her slowly. His gaze froze the princess, and she felt herself unable to move now that it was looking right at her.

“M͙̘̰̮͟ͅͅi̻̫̪̩r̠̜̺͞a̘̜͍̠n̶̠d̹̫͖͍͖a̝ͅ.͍̤͠…?̖̺” The voice said, as it’s breath slowed down. Slowly, the thing in the bed was gone… and Oz was beside her again.

“Ozzy… what happened?” The princess asked. She was hesitant to move closer to him… just in case it came back.

“I-I’m so sorry…” Oz said. “M-my nightmares…” he stammered. “I-I haven’t had one in so long…”

“But… that thing you turned into…” Miranda mentioned.

“Yeah… I-I didn’t mean to scare you, Miri…” Oz said, unable to even look at her. “That’s just what happens to me in a bad dream. I… I couldn’t even tell you what I saw.”

There was silence between them. Not even the faintest noise. Miranda got closer to him, and wrapped her arms over his shoulders. “You don’t need to tell me.” She quietly answered.

“Miri… I don’t want that to happen again.” Oz quietly said. “I don’t want you to be scared of me…”

“Oz, I could never be scared of you. I know that now.” Miranda answered. “The things we fear don’t define us. But you know what does?”

Oz hesitated… he slowly looked back over his shoulder. “What we love.” He answered.

Miranda just continued to nuzzle him. “Come back to bed…” She whispered. “Even a knight has demons he can’t vanquish alone.”

He sighed, letting his hands hold Miranda’s. He never wanted to let go. Staying here… with her… it made him feel safe. It made him feel secure… it was what he needed all those lonely nights before. She was right. He might have been her knight, but under the armor, he was just as vulnerable as anyone else.

Oz laid his head down on the pillow once more, and Miranda pulled the blanket back over their bodies. She wasn’t letting go now… not until the sun was here again.


	9. Video Games

“How about…  _ Shadow Spirits 3?” _

“Too grim.”

“ _ Super Neko Fighter Double X Turbo Edition _ ?”

“Too scantily-clad.”

“Uh…  _ Ultimate Smush Siblings _ ?”

“Too cross-overy.”

“Come on, Miri… there’s gotta be  _ some _ game you wanna play.” Oz sighed.

“I’m sorry, Oz… but none of these titles sound all that interesting. I don’t know why you suggested this in the first place.” Miranda sighed.

“But… this was  _ your _ idea.”

“It was?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh… well then, continue perusing.” She said with a wave.

Oz sighed… Miranda hardly played any video games… now all of a sudden, she was asking to play something with him. How the hell was Oz going to find something she would enjoy? Think… what did Miranda like? Silverware? Being… underwater? Bossing people around? Wait a second…

“How about…  _ For Glory _ ?”

“Hmm?” She raised an eyebrow, and didn’t reject it right away. This was the ticket… 

“It’s a strategy game where you command an kingdom, and use your army to crush other empires. I figured tha-”

“Teach me how to play  _ immediately _ !” Miranda said, her eyes lighting up with that odd power high she often came down with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ -and then, once the enemy’s commander is killed, you win.” Oz finished. It took nearly half an hour, but he finally managed to teach Miranda how to play.

“Okay… I believe I’m ready.” Miranda confidently said. “Oz, I would like for you to be my first opponent.”

“R-really?” Oz asked. “Uh… are you sure?”

“Of course. Why not?”

“Well… I’ve already played a lot of this game…” Oz said. “Maybe you should play against an AI first?”

“Are you saying I can’t handle myself?” Miranda asked.

“No, no! O-of course not! I-I mean… you’re still a beginner, after all.”

“Oh, I need not worry about that.” She answered. “I know you will go easy on me.”

“What?”

“Of course you will. You are, as they say, a pushover.”

“H-hey! I-I’m not a pushover…”

“Then show me.” Miranda said with a smug smile… it was clear that she was just looking to get Oz in a competitive mood… and it was working.

He set up match, letting Miranda use his main PC while be booted up  _ For Glory _ on his laptop.

The match wasted no time getting started as the couple began their ‘friendly’ competition.

Oz set up his troops and fortifications the same as he always had. He had played against many others online… and Miranda would be no different. Wait, no… this  _ would _ be different. He needed to bring the thunder… no more Mr. Pushover. He had built up a respectable army, and enough resources to start building more… time to send his virtual scouts across the mountains to see just what Miranda had built already.

And… his unit was destroyed. Oz had barely registered it, but something killed his scouts before he even found anything. Well… time to build some more units.

He set up some more scouts, and strengthened his castle just in case. This time, his scouts got further, and he finally spotted Miranda’s forces through the fog of war. Miranda had already built her own army, three times the size of what Oz had built! They targeted Oz’s new units, and smashed them quickly with their superior power. But… how!? Oz panicked briefly.

Only the best of the best players had the reflexes  _ and _ the strategy to build so many units! Players averaging over 300 actions per minute! It was- it was impossible that Miranda…

Wait. Oz looked up to the mermaid at the keyboard. Her eyes were laser-focused on the screen, and her fingers were bouncing back and forth with little delay. Could she really be strategizing that fast!?

Shit! Her armies were coming! Oz tried his best to adapt. Make more defenses, upgrade weapons, add more buttresses! Crap, not enough resources! In Oz’s panic, the enemy troops stormed into his territory. He was outnumbered, out gunned, and out maneuvered! How did Miranda get so good!?

DEFEAT flashed across Oz’s screen. As quickly as the match began, it was over. He sat in stunned silence.

“That was fun!” Miranda laughed, returning to her bubbly self.

“H-how?” Oz whispered. “How did you do that?”

“I like to listen in on Daddy’s war room meetings.” Miranda explained. “You learn a lot about tactics that way.”

“I… b-but you-!?” Oz stammered, only for Miranda to hug him.

“Don’t worry, Oz. It was a good fight.” She mused.

Oz sighed, and took a deep breath. “Yeah… you did great.” He smiled. “Though, to be honest, I think I prefer playing  _ with  _ you, rather than against you.”

“Awww! I would gladly!”

“Then let’s try a co-op game, then?” Oz suggested. “How about Battalion Blasters?”

“No.”

Oh boy… here we go again.


	10. Couple's Cosplay

The Monstropolis Convention Center. Could you even find a single place nerdier in all existence? Probably not. Especially during the weekend of Monstropolis NerdCon… yeah, that’d probably take the cake for the nerdiest place imaginable. The halls of the convention center were chocked full of geeks… along with plenty monsters coming in from out of town. Who’d’ve thought that Miranda Vanderbilt herself would show up in a place like this?

Not Miranda, it seems. She just stepped outside of the ladies’ changing room, dressed in the outfit her tailor serfs had whipped up. A tight, white leotard with a short purple skirt, complemented with tall, heeled, red boots. White, elbow length gloves that nearly reached her short, puffy sleeves. Along with a diadem on her pretty little head and her hair done in braids, Miranda’s cosplay shimmered like the night sky… mostly due to all the gems fixed into the fabric. As she stepped out into the hall, she was surprised to see nobody swarming her. No groveling admirers, no airpeople assassins… it was like nobody recognized her at all!

“Oh my… is  _ this _ the power of costume play?” Miranda gasped. “How marvelous! This will be like the great masquerade balls back home!

But something was missing… her cosplay wouldn’t be complete without Oz, right beside her, in his own outfit. But where was he? Was he still in the dressing stalls?

As if on cue, Oz stepped out to approach Miranda. A dark tuxedo, complete with matching cape, jacket, top hat, and mask… along with a plastic rose in hand. “I feel like the Interdimensional Prince’s evil twin…” 

“There you are!” Miranda happily squealed. “Now our couples cosplay of  _ Magically Magic Mahoshojo Space-Themed Schoolgirls _ is complete! I, as the one and only  _ Princess Selena Tethys III _ , and you, as  _ Mysterious Man in a Tuxedo _ !”

“I-I guess…” Oz said, a little unsure. “I-I’ve never really seen the show.”

“Never seen  _ Magically Magic Mahoshojo Space-Themed Schoolgirls _ ?!” Miranda gasped. “We simply  _ must _ remedy that! We shall marathon it!”

“Uh.. m-maybe…” He muttered. “Why does this shirt have such loose buttons? It feels like it could pop open at any second…”

“You  _ really _ haven’t seen it, have you?” Miranda giggled. “There’s a reason that show’s audience is mostly female, you know.”

“Wh-what?”

“Omigosh! Oz, is that  _ you _ !?” A familiar voice called out from the crowd. Oz looked over, seeing a hand waving from a sea of convention goers… and her taller, vampire boyfriend. What are the odds of running into those two?

“Vicky? I-Is that you?” Oz asked in return. As they got closer, he could see it more clearly… Vicky and Liam were also participating in the couples cosplay… but Vicky nearly tackled him with a running hug.

“I didn’t know you were gonna be here!” Vicky chirped, squeezing hard until Oz struggled to breathe.

“Y-Yeah!” Oz gasped, tapping for Vicky to release him. “Can… can you let go now?”

Vicky did release Oz from her vice-like grip, until Miranda recognized Vicky’s own costume. “I didn’t know you were into  _ Magically Magic Mahoshojo Space-Themed Schoolgirls _ as well!” She happily said aloud. “But… your Princess Selena costume is all wrong…”

“Actually, I’m Princess Aphrodite… well, before she was Princess Aphrodite, she was just Agent Z, as explained by the prequel series,  _ Operation Afurodaichi Z _ ,” Vicky answered.

“And I supposed Liam is  _ not _ the Mysterious Man in a Tuxedo?” Miranda asked, causing Liam to groan.

“No. Of course I’m not dressed as the copy.  _ I _ am the original. I am the Jack of All Spades!” Liam announced as he somehow fanned his deck of playing cards out perfectly. “I’m not in the main series because it’s—”

“Let me guess, too mainstream?” Oz asked.

“No. Impossible because he died,” Liam answered matter-of-factly, causing Vicky to punch him in the arm.

“Too soon! I’m still healing from that…” she whined.

“Spoilers!” Miranda gasped. “Also, why did I have no idea about this prequel series?”

“Simple, Victoria here is simply the better fan,” Liam snidely answered.

“I even saw the musicals.”

“In Japanese.”

“Good thing Liam was there to translate for me.”

The couple continued chuckling until they shared a kiss, causing Miranda to pout. How dare they call themselves the better fans! Nothing will ruin her perfect couples cosplay with Oz!

“Well, Ozwald and I are entering the Cosplay Contest later today. Good luck topping our cosplay.” The princess proudly proclaimed.

“W-we are?” Oz quietly asked. Why did everything have to be so competitive?

“Really now? We’ll see about that,” Liam chuckled. Vicky just looked over at Oz. He spotted her mouth ‘ _ good luck’ _ to him, before Miranda started to drag him over to the ballroom to register for the contest.

“Uh… M-miri?” Oz quietly asked as the mermaid kept her grip on his wrist. “D-don’t you think that was a little rash?”

“Why? We  _ must _ show them our cosplay is superior! We will show them who the better fans are!” Miranda simply answered.

“B-but Vicky and Liam are our friends, r-right?”

“They are, but this is  _ war _ now, Ozzy. Fandom supporting, cosplay-based war!”

Just up ahead was Vicky and Liam… she could tell Liam’s smug superiority was rubbing off on Vicky. She hip-checked the other lovebirds out of the way and quickly jotted down a signature for Oz and herself. Miranda didn’t even look over at the two… but Oz gave Vicky an apologetic shrug.

Although… Vicky seemed like she was getting in the competitive spirit. “Bring it on, fish.” She taunted.

“It’s  _ been _ on, you… you… ugh!” Miranda groaned, only to yank Oz in another direction for the contest’s preparations.

“Miranda… don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” Oz asked, now that they had some more distance between Vicky and Liam.

“Harsh?  _ Harsh!? _ ” Miranda said through her teeth. “They are the ones who openly undermined my love of  _ Magically Magic Mahoshojo Space-Themed Schoolgirls! _ I cannot sit idly by while they declare themselves ‘true fans’! My honor has been thrown into question! I must crush them now before-!”

“I don’t care!” Oz blurted out, stunning Miranda for a moment.

“…What?”

“I don’t care if you’re the biggest Magic Magicky Ma-… whatever fan or not!” Oz said. “You don’t  _ have _ to be the #1 fan in the world! I’ll love you either way!”

“I-…”

“Miranda… please. I don’t want to be mad at Vicky and Liam. They’re good monsters… I don’t want them to be on our bad side just because of some costumes…”

Miranda hesitated. “Well… we  _ did _ already enter the costume contest…” She muttered.

“It’s okay… It doesn’t matter. We don’t need any gold medal.” Oz answered. “Besides… we both know you make silver look beautiful…”

He gave his girlfriend a kiss on the forehead, and the fire that fueled Miranda moments ago had snuffed out.

“Thank you.” Miranda sighed, looking back up at him. “I’ll be right back…” She said, parting ways with Oz as she headed back stage… the contest would begin soon. Oz followed after her… just to be sure.

Miranda found Vicky and Liam back stage, practicing their poses for the upcoming competition. Still… she was here to take the high road.

“Good luck, guys. May the best fan win,” Vicky said with a smile, extending her hand for a handshake.

“And best of luck to you as well,” Miranda replied. Both boys just chuckled and silently gave their best wishes.

It was unclear just how much competition and tension was between the two couples… Oz just hoped that everyone could still be friends.

The music on stage began to swell, as the contest was soon fully underway. Single entrees… children cosplayers… and soon, the couples bracket.

Like clockwork, Vicky and Liam hopped on the stage, dramatically posing for the crowd.

“I am the Agent Z! And I order you to stop in the name of love!”

“I am the Jack of All Spades! I can assure you your defeat is in the cards!”

Liam’s cards transformed into a flock of doves, and the crowd went wild for their brief performance. Despite their talk earlier, Miranda was certain that they had to bring their A-game if they were to have any chance of winning. After a while, it was Oz and Miranda’s up to the plate. Unfortunately, neither of them had any lines to rehearse… but…

“In the name of the tides, I shall smite thee down!” Miranda shouted, striking an energized stance.

Oz gave the brim of his hat a tip, only to flip it off his head. There was only one way to get the crowd roaring… He took a running start, sliding on his knees all the way down to the very end of the runway. Time for those flimsy buttons to come in handy. With a flex, the buttons came loose, revealing Oz’s bare chest under his shirt. He wasn’t the most muscular… but apparently tons of girls liked the skinny guys… resulting in a loud cheer from the audience… mostly feminine. It’s a good thing he was wearing a mask, or else the entire front row could tell he’s blushing. As a final gesture, he flicked his hat to a monster in the crowd.

Unnecessary? Sure. But it was a rather charming gesture, and that’s bound to add some style points.

After their performance, Oz and Miranda returned to the audience, allowing Oz to button his shirt again.

“That was… certainly extravagant, Oz.” Miranda mused, before finding them both next to Vicky and Liam again.

“You guys were great!” Vicky whispered as she now seemed to be holding on to Oz’s hat… 

“Th-thanks!” Oz replied.

Liam and Miranda were still quiet… perhaps the grudge was still going strong. The contest continued on, until it was time to announce the winners. A pixie who cosplayed as Primus Optimal won in the Singles Category, while a mummy and his mummy dressed as students of Pigmoles won in the Children’s Category. And now for the results of the Couples Category. Oz and Miranda waited with bated breath…

“And now for the best Couples Cosplay,” announced the Headless Host as he read the winners as decided by the three gargoyle judges. “For their cosplays as Princess Selena Tethys III and Mysterious Man in a Tuxedo, the winners are Miranda Vanderbilt and Oz Non-Applicable!”

Miranda practically jumped out of her seat cheering. Oz had never seen her smile that widely before. Even as he was dragged back to the stage, Oz caught a glimpse of Vicky and Liam still in their seats. They seemed disappointed, but… it looked like there were no hard feelings…

“And your prize for first place… One thousand Money! And free admission to next years Monstropolis NerdCon!” The announcer bellowed.

Miranda was no stranger to such cash… or even the attention and adoration. It felt nice, of course, especially with Oz by her side… but something wasn’t right. This victory didn’t feel… good.

Later…

The four met up in the food-court, still in costume, for a late lunch meal. Miranda brought in a few serfs to guard their comically-sized check while they ate… Well, while Vicky and Oz ate. Liam was just snapping pics and Miranda… well, she had serfs for that.

“I’m… sorry.” Miranda said, rather suddenly during the meal.

“Pardon?” Vicky asked, trying to avoid choking on her pizza.

“I let my pride of  _ Magically Magic Mahoshojo Space-Themed Schoolgirls _ get the better of me…” Miranda elaborated. “I just… I wanted to just how much I loved it, but… I grew… jealous.”

“Miranda, it’s okay. You-” Oz said, only to be cut off.

“No, Ozzy. You were right. I shouldn’t have let these costumes form a rift between us…”

Oz only responded with another kiss to her forehead… as Vicky turned to Liam expectantly.

“Your turn…” The patchwork girl whispered. Liam shot her a look, that painted look of exasperation and reluctance. Vicky only nodded.

“Fine… I _ guess _ I’m sorry too…” Liam, only for Vicky to harshly nudge his shoulder. “Ow…! Okay! Gah…! I apologize too. I was worried you were gonna try to humiliate my girlfriend again.”

“Now, didn’t that feel good?” Vicky asked with a smirk.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Liam muttered through gritted teeth before Vicky gave him a peck on the cheek.

Oz and Miranda shared a chuckle. Their hands met underneath the table, gently clasping onto each other’s fingers. At least that cash prize could be saved for a nice vacation…


	11. Romantic Bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to get pretty steamy. Consider this an NSFW warning.

Oz had been preparing for this all day… and working up the courage to see it through for much longer. The bathroom door opened slowly… and Oz showed Miranda just what was on the other side.

His bathtub was half-filled with steaming water, as several nearby candles illuminated the room with a warm, sensual light. The smell of lavender and lilac wafted out from the room, and a trail of rose petals trailed in from the edge of the tub to the door.

“Oz… is this… for me?” Miranda asked, her cheeks turning red.

“For _us_ .” He answered. “I-I was going to do this bit where I was already in the tub, and you’d walk in and see me, and… uh! Th-the point is… I… I think we’re ready to do something… like, really _special_ … you know?” He stammered.

“You mean…!”

“Y-Yeah…!”

“You have volunteered to be my new bathing serf? That’s so sweet!”

Oz nearly fainted on the spot. _Bathing serf_?

“Uh… n-not exactly.” He coughed dryly. The last thing he needed was to be serf-zoned by his own girlfriend. “I was hoping we could do this… _together?_ ” He said, as be began unbuttoning his shirt in front of her.

“Of course we’re supposed to do this together. My serf can’t bathe me he’s not with me,” Miranda answered matter-of-factly. “You may undress me.”

Okay… Oz could _certainly_ work with this. “O-Of course, my liege.” His hands shakily made their way to Miranda’s top, unbuttoning it. Underneath was a simple, pearl-pink bra. He nearly gasped after looking at her… Oz’s mind was racing as his cheeks grew warmer. His hands slid Miranda’s blouse off her body, and also let his hands stroke her long scarlet locks. Such beautiful hair…

His eyes remained locked with hers as his hands slid down to her shorts and began to unbutton them as well. Oz continued to strip Miri down gently, and his figurative heartbeat was pounding like a drum. He just took a moment to look back up at her… at the gorgeous work of art in front of him.

Miranda smiled as she continued to let Oz undress her. She had to admit that his hands felt so smooth against her skin. She can’t help but giggle. “Sorry… it just tickles!”

“Really now?” Oz asked, raising an eyebrow. His hands found their way back up to her petite waist… and just… held her. He always wanted the opportunity to just hold her. To have her in his hands, and to be in hers. Her fingers were so delicate and smooth… her touch felt like the cool waves of the sea against him.

Miranda was holding onto his arm, gently stroking his forearm up to his bicep. “You haven’t finished undressing yourself…” She reminded.

“O-oh… s-sorry.” Oz nervously chuckled. “I got a little preoccupied…”

“Allow me.” The princess whispered.

Oz noticed her hands were smooth, but a little jittery. Her movements weren’t as graceful and fluid as he once expected. Her hands helped remove Oz’s shirt and cardigan, but fumbled when it came to unbuckling his belt. He caught a glance at Miranda’s eyes… she was new to this sort of thing, too.

But now they were on the same page. He reached back around Miranda’s body, fidgeting with the bra strap until it finally came loose. The princess gasped quietly, and her hands left Oz’s waist to keep her chest covered.

“Is something wrong?” Oz asked, recoiling his own hands for a brief moment.

“I… I’m small…” She quietly muttered.

“What?”

The princess hesitated. She lowered her arms, letting Oz see her chest. “I-I’m not as big as the others… Vera and Amira are a few sizes above me, and Polly is just absolutely-!”

“Miri… it’s okay.” Oz interrupted. “It doesn’t matter to me. I think you’re beautiful."

She didn’t answer for a moment. Her eyes didn’t meet his. Oz took her chin in his hand and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

“… I love you.” He said after a lengthy pause. “I want you to know that, okay?”

The mermaid began to look back up to Oz. Those gorgeous turquoise eyes met his own, and the smile came back to Miranda’s lips.

“I love you, too.” She whispered.

With their affection rekindled, the two removed the rest of their clothes. Oz was the first to step into the tub… slowly, to get acclimated to the hot water. Thankfully, Oz was thin enough for Miranda to join him with nary an issue.

“The water feels nice…” Miranda sighed as she cuddled with Oz. His cheeks grew as warm as the water around him, feeling her body pressed against him.

“Y-yeah…” He replied, putting his hand around her. This _did_ feel nice. If Miranda got any closer, she could feel his rapid pulse. It was hard for Oz to pay attention to anything besides the gorgeous girl at his side.

Her cascading hair, wet and sleek, flowing off her shoulders like scarlet silk. Her perfectly soft lips, just _begging_ for Oz to kiss her again. Her gentle hands, smooth and perfect, stroking his chest before moving even lower…

Oh. _OH._ That… that feels strange! A good strange, but strange! His muscles grew tense as he felt her hand down below his waist. Miranda was still smiling warmly at him.

“Is this your first time?” She quietly asked.

“Uh… y-yeah.” He said.

“Mine too…”

“Well… I guess we’re both new to this.” Oz sighed. “M-maybe we should take it slow?”

Miranda nodded and turned around so both were now facing each other. She sat just on his lap, as the two maintained eye-contact. This was new for them… it was hard not to feel awkward or nervous right now. But… they were doing this out of love… and Miranda seemed to be the only one confident enough to push things forward.

“Are you ready?” She asked him. Oz only nodded. “I’m going to… get on it.”

Oz felt Miranda’s thighs rub against his shaft. His heart was pounding like crazy… this was really happening.

Slowly, the princess raised herself up above Oz, and lowered herself back down. Miranda gave a gasp and a shudder as her legs went numb underneath her.

“A-are you okay?” Oz asked. He hated thinking that this was making her uncomfortable. “We can stop… I-if you want.”

“No!” Miranda shouted. “I mean… I’m fine. I want to do this,” she added with a nervous smile. Her hands rested on Oz’s shoulders for support, and he in turn, held on to her waist.

“O-okay…” Oz said. “Just… let me know…”

It took every fiber of his being to keep himself composed. He didn’t want to finish too early, and just… being under Miranda was already so exciting.

The two of them both took a moment to breathe. Just to relax… and breathe. They were already closer than they’ve ever been together… the furthest they’ve ever gone. But now, they needed to go _further._

Oz pressed his hips up, and Miranda let out a quiet whimper of pleasure. Oz hesitated, but he knew she wasn’t in any distress. He continued, thrusting again, at a steady pace for his siren.

Miranda’s gasps turned into heavy breathing, feeling Oz moving underneath her. Her hands stayed on his shoulders, keeping herself upright. He mainly focused on her, and she on him. They kept looking into each other’s eyes as they continued to make love for the first time.

Just a little faster, now. Oz was getting absorbed in this feeling. The here and now. As cheesy as it sounded, he really felt… connected to Miranda. As if on instinct, he pulled her in for a kiss, feeling her moan against his lips as she felt herself give into the pleasure. Oz felt her grip him tightly, and he in turn held onto her body a little harder, as he bounced the princess faster and faster.

Miranda’s moaning was muffled by Oz’s lips, and she felt a growing warmth inside her body. It only grew in intensity the more the lovers went on, until it was impossible to ignore.

“O-Oz…” She stammered, breaking away from the kiss for a moment. “I-I’m…!”

Oz just shushed her as both approached the climax. It felt like the world had stopped around them. The only thing between them was the explosion of pleasure they shared.

And just like that… it was over. All that could be heard were their heavy breaths. Oz felt light-headed… almost dizzy. Miranda slowly got off of him, her legs still weak, and returned to his side, clinging to him like how a little girl clings to a stuffed toy larger than herself.

The candles were still flickering… the water was still warm. They could walk out of this bathroom, and find nothing different from when they entered.

But the two of them… they would not remain the same. There was… a barrier broken between them. A bridge they had crossed together. And Oz didn’t regret it for a second. If anything, he was stunned he even arrived here in the first place.

“Miranda?” He asked, speaking up after what seemed like ages.

“Yes?” She whispered in return.

“I’m… very happy you’re my first.”

“Truly?”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way…”

Miranda hugged him a little tighter, resting her head on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t either…”


	12. Aquarium Date

“Gasp! How marvelous!” Miranda sang. She was brimming with so much excitement, she actually said the word ‘gasp’ aloud. “I didn’t know land-walkers had merfolk zoos!” 

“Well, we call them ‘aquariums’.” Oz corrected, as he put some money on the counter for a set of tickets.

“Oh, how joyous! It’s so glad to see that landwalkers have whole establishments dedicated to the majesty and glory of the ocean!” She continued, grinning like a giddy schoolgirl. Mostly because she  _ was _ a giddy schoolgirl. “Why didn’t I hear of them sooner?”

“I just thought it’d be a nice little date- day! A nice day together.” Oz stammered.

“It’s fine, Ozzy.” Miranda giggled, taking him by the hand. “You can call it a date.”

“I-I didn’t want to imply…”

“Imply away.” Miranda remarked, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, before pulling him along through the turnstiles into the aquarium.

It didn’t take long for Miranda to get so enthralled with all the exhibits and specimens.

“That’s the Great Caribbean Double Octopus! And over there is the elusive Shark Panther! And right there! The Conspiracy Banana Eel! Gasp! They even have  _ goddamn barnacles! _ ”

“Woah, Miri, language! There are kids around here…”

“No, you misunderstand. Their official name is the  _ Cthalamus goddamnicus,  _ or the Goddamn Barnacle of the Atlantic Ocean!” Miranda explained, pointing to the plaque beside the tank.

“Huh… well, you learn something new every day.” Oz muttered.

“Of course, Daddy has taught me everything there is to know about the ocean’s denizens. It was awfully tedious study, but useful for when I become queen.”

“Eh… right.” Oz chuckled. “Maybe we should keep going, then? That eel’s kinda creeping me out…”

It hardly took any convincing for Miranda to keep going, happily tugging Oz around by the wrist.

They soon came to the aquarium’s  _ HALL of JELLY™ _ , which consisted of a dim hallway, illuminated by colored lights along the tanks of various jellyfish.

“Oooh! Jellyfish are so whimsical! So simple, yet so elegant!” Miranda chirped.

Oz personally couldn’t share her enthusiasm… after all, they were just blobs of goo that just float around all day. It wasn’t long before Oz was starting to check out… He loved Miri, but she could really drone on and on about this stuff… 

“-with differing climates forming a current that brings the Dodecahedron Jellyfish into the Indian Ocean ecosystem, comes a new niche that blah blah blah blah blah-…”

Oh no. Oh  _ NO _ . He was getting bored listening to Miranda’s voice! This can’t be happening! No, this can’t go on any longer! He needed to save himself, for their sake!

His lips quickly found themselves on Miranda’s cheek, before he pulled away just as fast. It was enough to break her concentration, thankfully enough.

“Oh… s-sorry. I just couldn’t resist…” Oz sheepishly laughed.

Miranda stood stunned for a moment. She looked back up to Oz, then smiled again. “You could have just asked…” the princess giggled, stealing a kiss of her own from Oz. 


	13. Ballroom Dancing

Miranda’s home was an… _interesting_ place.

Oz had never been at an undersea palace before… but that’s why he ordered a Scüber. Miranda greeted him at the entrance of her submerged home, which had plenty of air pockets, thankfully.

“So nice you could make it, Ozwald.” Miranda chirped, taking him by the hand as she led him into the foyer. “I simply  _ must _ show you around the palace!”

“A tour? Y-yeah, that sounds great!” Oz nervously answered. “Uh… I-I won’t have to meet your parents, will I?”

“They’re out visiting Lemuria for the weekend.” The princess giggled. “They won’t mind.”

Oz felt some weight leave his shoulders… but that trial would come another day. For now, he just enjoyed himself as Mirana tugged him along through the castle.

“Where should we go first? The royal baths? The royal garden? What about the royal torture chamber?”

“Uh… I-I’d say that’s your call…” Oz nervously laughed.

“Ooh! How about the ballroom?”

Oh. The ballroom. That’s more like it! Oz nodded, and Miranda started tugging him along again. Down another hall, up and down a few staircases… it was easy for Oz to feel lost in this palace… but Miranda soon led him through some wide doors leading into the ballroom. It was certainly an extravagant chamber. A high, rounded ceiling of stained glass that illuminated the rich marble tile down below. It was a wide floor, too, as their footsteps echoed as they walked further in.

“Wow…”

“Marvelous, isn’t it?” Miranda asked. “Ah, such wonderful memories here. I’ve had my last six birthdays within this very ballroom.”

“Really?” Oz asked. “You have royal balls for your birthday?”

“Of course! My father only provides the best when celebrating his daughters!” Miranda answered.

“That must have been fun…”

“Have… have you never been to a royal ball, Oz?”

Oz only shook his head.

“Does that mean you’ve never waltzed?!” Miranda gasped. “We must remedy this right away!” She declared, and quickly took hold of Oz’s hands. She closed the gap between them with little hesitation, and Oz’s cheeks immediately grew warm. Was this right? Should he be this close? Oz instinctively tried to give her space again, but the mermaid stayed close.

“No, silly, _this_ is how you stand!” Miranda corrected. “And put your hands like  _ this _ .”

Her hands directed Oz’s right to hold her around the waist, while she kept holding his left.

“Now… follow my steps. One, two, three… one, two, three.” She instructed. She began to sway back and forth along the floor with Oz, while the fear monster just kept trying to avoid stepping on her toes.

“You’re doing well.” Miranda commented.

“R-really?”

“Yes… you’re a quick learner.”

Before Oz realized it, a waltz melody started to echo through the hall. Miranda’s orchestra serfs were already starting to play, even though they were the only two dancing. They had the whole ballroom to themselves, and plenty of time for Oz to learn from Miranda.

The more he focused on the music and the steps, the less Oz worried. His hands were shaking less, and his breathing slowed. One, two, three… one, two, three… Back and forth…

His hands held onto Miranda a little firmer, and he became much more familiar with the steps as the song continued.

Miranda’s eyes met his own. His heart skipped a beat as his cheeks flushed again. She smiled, and leaned closer to him, lips pursed.

Oz froze for a brief second, stumbling backward over his own feet, and taking Miranda down with him.

The mermaid landed on top of Oz, her fall broken by his body. Her crown bounced off her head, and she brushed her long, scarlet locks out of her eyes.

“Are you alright?” She asked, propping herself up above him.

“Yeah… I’m okay.” Oz answered. “I… uh… got a little lost somewhere.”

“You were doing so well.” She replied, helping him up. “We can practice as long as you like.”

“Really now?” Oz asked, raising an eyebrow as he dusted himself off. “I’d… like that.”

Miranda’s face simply lit up with a smile. She turned back to her orchestra serfs, who had stopped abruptly after the two fell over. “Well?” She asked, expectantly. “From the top.”

The serfs knew better than to complain. They just began the waltz from the beginning, allowing the two to dance away a few more moments together.


	14. Valentine's Day

Oz stepped off the bus, into the hall of Spooky High. Was it just him, or did everything look a lot… ‘pinker’ than usual? Was this another one of Miranda’s decrees to make everything ‘prettier’? The school was no stranger to students making out in the halls, but now it seemed like _everyone_ was going at it. There was something _different_ about today… Oz just couldn’t put his finger on it.

He then looked down at his phone, seeing a missed text from Vicky. One quick peek was all it took for him to realize just what was going on.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, bestie!” It read, followed by a ribbon heart emoji, a rose emoji, and a yellow heart emoji.

 _Oh no…!_ Valentine’s Day!? Already!? How could he forget Valentine’s Day!? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

As he banged his head against his locker in frustration, he saw someone down the hall… ironically, the _last_ person he wanted to see right now. Miranda.

She hadn’t spotted him yet, but Oz knew one thing was clear. It was Valentine’s Day, and he wouldn’t be caught high and dry without a gift for his girlfriend. She would either be heartbroken or livid, or both. No… he couldn’t let Miranda see him; Not while he’s empty handed. He ducked around the corner, his heart pounding like a rabbit hiding from the wolf. The only problem was… where could he _possibly_ get a last-minute gift?!

Valerie. He needed to find her, and _fast_. But where could her shop possibly be set up? There wasn’t enough time to find her before classes start. How could he avoid Miranda for that long?

 

* * *

 

Lunch hour. Oz managed to evade detection long enough until he could slip over to Valerie’s table. Finally, he could get a gift for Miri before it was too late.

“Sorry, Yellow.” The werecat said, barely looking up from her phone. “Shop’s closed."

“Wh-what?! Why?!”

“Do you know how many folks I get to my shop on an average day?”

“Uh… I don’t-”

“Thirty. And on Valentines Day, it’s _double_ that because of chumps like you who shop last second.” She cut in. “So, let me get a little time to myself, okay?”

“Valerie, please, if I don’t get something for Miri today, she’s never going to forgive me!”

“Sounds like _your_ problem, not mine.”

“I-I’ll pay as much you want! I swear, I’ll make it up to you!” Oz begged.

“Really now?”

“Yes! I-I’ll do your homework for you!” Oz said. “The next week’s worth!”

“Deal.”

“Now, what do you have?” He asked.

Valerie rummaged below her desk, and started to pull out everything she had.

“I got this rub-on tattoo. S’pretty rad.”

“I don’t think Miri likes tattoos…”

“What about this corpse? Could be a sweet accessory.”

“Uh…”

“Look, pal, you wanna buy something or not?”

“S-sorry. Don’t you have anything… romantic?”

“I’ve got some booze. Will that work?”

“I guess so.” He said, quickly picking the bottle up.

Valerie cleared her throat, and slid a small stack of papers on the desk. “And _here’s_ my chemistry homework. I need it done by Monday.”

“R-right.” Oz sighed. Well, at least now he had a gift for Miranda. "Th-thank you so much."

“No, thank _you._ ” Valerie snickered. “Catch you later.”

As Oz retreated back to his locker, he got a better look at the label on the bottle. _1964 Petit Chou-fleur Bordeaux._ Sounded legit. He held onto it for the rest of the day. He had to gift this over to Miranda before some other issue got in the way.

Finally, he found her in the halls and approached her, bottle in hand.

“Oz?”

“H-happy Valentine’s day, Miri.” Oz said, showing her the wine.

“Oh, Oz, this is so sweet!” She cooed, but her smile quickly faded. “But… I’m afraid I cannot accept this.”

“What? Why not?”

“I must confess… I have forgotten a gift for you in return.” She sadly admitted. “I just kept putting it off, and before I knew it, I had run out of time. I’m sorry...”

Oz said nothing. He looked back at the bottle… not only did he have a pile of extra work to do, but he now he made Miranda feel so… awful. And he felt awful too. He looked back over to Miranda, still hanging her head in shame.

He tossed the bottle over his shoulder. The cork ruptured, and the wine just spilled out onto the floor.

“O-Oz!?” Miranda gasped. “What are you doing!?”

“You said you didn’t have a gift.” Oz began. “And now, I don’t have one, either. I’d say that makes us equal, don’t you think?”

Miranda’s expression slowly grew into a warm smile. “I suppose you are correct.” She chuckled.

“Who needs a gift, anyway?” Oz said, putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. “Time with you is its own gift…”

The couple strolled down the hall together, laughing and smiling the whole way. They had decided to just enjoy each other’s company today… which was more than enough to distract them from Polly shouting at them for wasting quality booze without her.


	15. Theatre

“And… action!” Liam shouted from the director’s seat, up at the stage.

The dress rehearsal was underway, and only a few more scenes needed polishing before the entirety of the play was finished. Liam filled in as the play’s director, mostly because he enjoyed harshly critiquing people as well as theatre.

Oz stepped onto stage, dressed in his swashbuckler regalia. A prop rapier hung at his hip, a fake mustache under his nose, and a wide-brimmed hat sat atop his head. Memorizing his lines was easy. Oz had read plenty of fantasy novels and played lots of RPGs to get a hang for this sort of dialogue. The difficulty lied in  _ reciting _ his lines. His lack of confidence set him back often during these rehearsals. Performing for a small group was difficult enough… in front of a whole audience? Forget about it.

“Hark, my queen!” He began, doing his best to keep his stage-fright in check. “The dark army is breaking through the castle gates! We must get you to safety!”

On her cue, Miranda joined the stage, dressed in her yellow gown and extra large tiara. It was obvious she  _ thrived _ in the spotlight, and wouldn’t pass to be anything less than the center of attention. So naturally, she had a knack for acting.

“By the gods!” The princess gasped. “Summon the royal guard!”

“Royal guard!?” A loud voice boomed from stage right. “All I saw was pitiful cannon fodder!” Miranda hid herself behind Oz as Damien marched on stage, his dark iron armor and broadsword stained with blood… prop blood, hopefully. A wide, sinister grin formed on his face… he enjoyed this method acting just as much as Miranda.

“Get back, my queen!” Oz declared, stepping to face the demon, weapon drawn. “I shall delay him! Make your escape!”

“I cannot leave you!” Miranda cried. “You pledged your life to me! I must ensure it continues on by my side!”

“Queen Eirina, this shall not be your final chapter.” Oz declared. “For the sake of the kingdom, you must live on. I may not die by your side… but I shall die a  _ knight _ .”

“Such noble words, but it’s all for naught!” Damien roared. He lunged at Oz with a swing of his blade, which the monster in yellow side-stepped.

Miranda made her escape stage left, and Oz turned his attention back to his attacker. This was always the hardest part of the performance… Damien went all-in here, as vicious and unpredictable as ever. He certainly put his all into acting. Hell, if that sword were real, he would’ve torn Oz in two by the first rehearsal. There was no stopping him now.

Block, thrust, parry, dodge, repeat. Block, thrust, parry, dodge, repeat. Oz had plenty of practice withstanding Damien’s attacks. At least all those video games were good for something.

This fight was scripted that Oz and Damien would draw… everyone knew that both of them would die here. But that meant Oz would actually have to  _ land _ a hit on him.

There! A gap in his defenses! Oz poked his rapier forward, and hit between the plates of Damien’s armor. It wasn’t a  _ real _ weapon… but it was still kinda pointy.

“ _ OW _ ! You dweeb, that fuckin’ hurt!” Damien roared.

“Stay on script, Damien!” Liam reminded from off-stage. “The dark army’s champion does not say ‘dweeb’!”

“I mean-  _ Gaaaaaah! _ I will not be slain by a pathetic whelp so easily!” The demon retorted. He gave one final slash before collapsing, and Oz purposely took the blow.

With Damien on the floor, Oz took a deep breath of relief. That was the first time he’s actually  _ beaten _ Damien in that scene. His breath turned shaky, and his hands grasped at the imaginary wound. He fell to his knees, and clawed his way to stage-right. “My… queen… ” He groaned, before going completely limp.

“Aaaand _scene_!” Liam shouted. “Good work, everyone. You’ve  _ actually  _ improved. We’ll still have to work on you staying on script, Damien.”

Miranda hurried onto the stage, her arms hugging Oz’s body.

“Oz! My knight! Nooooo! You will always be remembered!” She wailed.

“Miri! Miri! I’m alive! I-it’s just an act, remember?” Oz cried in return.

“Oh, right.” She said, clearing her throat, and dusting herself back off as she stood up. “Well, wonderful performance, my knight.”

“Thanks…” Oz said, getting back on his feet. “You know… maybe we should rehearse that…  _ other  _ scene.”

“What scene?”

Oz nervously leaned in close, and whispered something into her ear. 

“Oh, my!” Miranda gasped, her cheeks turning rosy. “Ozzy, that isn’t in the script!”

“Maybe not…” He laughed. “Just consider it a little… method acting.” 


	16. Scars

Oz considered himself to be rather observant. He was always one to watch and listen, since he himself was quiet and hardly outgoing. He would sometimes pick up on things others wouldn’t. Like how on certain days, Polly would be wearing lipstick. Or how Coach’s mustache would be trimmed, just by half an inch or so.

Or that little nick on Miranda’s finger that wasn’t there before… during lunch, he decided to mention it.

“How’d you get that cut?” He quietly asked the mermaid.

“Hmm? You mean… this little thing?” Miranda asked. “It’s just a papercut…”

“Are you alright? Does it sting?” He asked, a little more urgently. “Let me have a look at it.”

“Ozzy, I’m fine…” Miranda assured. “It’s hardly anything. I’ve had worse.” 

“You have?”

“Of course.” Miranda began. She pointed to another scar along her finger… one that was certainly old. “See this? I got this when our shark-puppy bit me on my ninth birthday.”

She pointed to a different scratch… a barely visible line along the back of her other hand. “And this is when I slipped holding the murder spoon… I was so clumsy…”

“Wow…” Oz muttered. He never expected Miranda to have any scars… but the fact she had any was almost surprising.

“What about you?”

“Come again?” Oz asked.

“You must have a few scratches.” Miranda mused, laying her hand on Oz’s shoulder.

Oz didn’t answer at first… “Is this another excuse to see me without my shirt?”

Miranda didn’t say anything. But that cute little grin on her face gave it away.

“Alright…” Oz chuckled. He got up from his lunch table, and snuck off with Miranda out of the cafeteria, and out to the bathrooms.

With the door shut behind them, and after they were certain no one was nearby…

“Okay… here goes…” Oz sighed. He slowly peeled off his cardigan, then the shirt underneath…

Miranda didn’t expect to find what she did. Oz’s body was lightly strewn with dozens of tiny scars along his chest. Faded… some older, some newer. But what they lacked in size, they made up for in number.

“Oh my… Oz, what  _ did _ all this?” Miranda gasped.

“Uh… these aren’t like…  _ actual _ injuries. They’re from my phobias.”

“Your… phobias?” Miranda repeated. “I don’t understand…”

“Uh… it’s a little complicated. You see… I’m made out of fear. I’m, like…  _ actually _ made of different phobias. And… because of that, I’m afraid of a lot of things…

“So, whenever I… get over a fear; whenever I’m no longer afraid of something… the phobia leaves me. Physically. And it leaves a mark.”

“I… see…” Miranda mused, curious. She ran her delicate fingers over his inky black skin. “Do they hurt?”

“Only for a second. But not anymore.” Oz replied. Still… they were on the topic of sharing scars… might as well point a few out.

“This one was my fear of cats… this was before I adopted Scribbles.” He said, pointing to a tiny star-shaped mark near his elbow.

“This was my fear of the number thirteen… I was really superstitious for a while.” Another scar, just below his collarbone.

Miranda just blinked as he continued. How could he remember them all? What each scar represented?

“This was my fear of snakes.” He said, pointing at another. “I guess I got over it after meeting Vera.”

“What about getting over your fear of Vera?” Miranda joked.

“I haven’t gotten that scar yet…” Oz laughed in return.

Miranda shared in the laughter, only for her eyes to drift. There were so many… but one scar seemed to stand out. It hadn’t faded as much as the others… perhaps it was recent? It was right on his chest, right over where his heart would be.

“And this one?” Miranda asked, pointing it out and brushing it gently with her fingers.

Oz hesitated… he gave a little sigh, almost embarrassed.

“My fear of the ocean.” He answered. “I… uh, I think you know how I conquered that.” Miranda just shook her head. Oz couldn’t tell if she genuinely didn’t have any idea, or she just wanted him to praise her for helping him get over his fear. That smile of hers… she wanted to hear him say it.

“I’ll give you a hint.” Oz softly said, putting his hands on Miranda’s waist. “She’s standing right in front of me…” Miranda responded by laying her ear against his chest so he could hear his heartbeat.


	17. First Meeting

“There’s a first time for everything.”

Oz had heard that time and time again ever since he joined Spooky High School. It didn’t help his stress one bit. After all, he was in a new school, with new people, tougher classes, and he’d be seeing his friends less often. And it didn’t help that he was already late to his first class of the day.

He scrambled through the halls, looking for the classroom for Intro to Dark Arts while the bell rang. He kept his backpack close to him as he made it to the front door… only for the teacher, and the rest of the class, to have their eyes on him.

“You’re late.” Ms. Feratu sneered at him. “This better not be a recurring problem, Mr…?” She asked, pointing her ruler at him with her shrewd, furrowed brow.

“Uh… O-Oz.” He answered, nervously adjusting the collar of his shirt.

“Oz  _ what? _ ”

“J-just Oz. I don’t really use a last name.”

Ms. Feratu looked down at the attendance sheet on her clipboard. Her eyes narrowed as she read his name on the list. Just… Oz. “Well, I’ll be damned”. She murmured. “Just take your seat and let me finish roll call.”

Without another word, Oz took the last chair available. He tried to just become invisible again, after having all that attention on him for a brief moment. The rest of the students went through roll call as the teacher sounded each off each of them…

 

“Miranda Vanderbilt.”

“Present.”

Oz couldn’t believe his ears. He had heard that name before. Only once… in passing in the halls. But it wasn’t her name that caught his attention. No, it was the voice that answered. She spoke only one word, and it was as serene and melodic as the strum of a harp. Oz looked up to the source of the voice. The girl sitting in the desk beside him. Her hair red like roses, her skin smooth and sleek like marble, and… was that a crown atop her head? Wow… talk about a work of art.

He shook himself out of his trance.

_ I should say something to her… y-yeah. _

“H-hi.” Oz quietly said, faint enough for only her to hear.

Miranda turned, almost surprised. She said nothing in return, but gave Oz a little wave and a friendly smile before turning her attention back to the front of the room.

_ She noticed me! _

If Oz had an actual heart, it would have skipped a beat.

_ Miranda… that was her name…. _


	18. Drunk

“Come on, Ozzy… you need to lay down.” Miranda sighed, tugging Oz by the wrist to the sofa.

“Uh… n-no, I’m ffffine.” Oz said through slurred words. “Honeshtly.”

“That’s the last time you try out Polly’s Vod-quila…” The mermaid muttered, helping Oz sit down. This was going to be daunting… Miranda had never had to actually tend to someone before. But it was just her and Oz in his living room… no serfs, no friends, nobody else to delegate this task to. Is this what responsibility felt like?

Oz was barely able to keep himself upright. Even the little phobias on his shoulders were kinda loopy. He fell over, onto Miranda’s lap, and almost passed out right here. If he was sleeping, then perhaps Miranda would have an easier time watching over him.

Oz turned himself over on the couch, head still resting on Miranda’s thighs, but now looking up towards her. “Hey… yer like…  _ really _ pretty.” He hiccuped.

“Thank you, Ozzy…” Miranda sighed, with a small smile. Oz was never one to shy away from flattering statements, drunk or sober.

“Are… are you my wife?” He asked, catching the mermaid off guard.

“W-wife?” Miranda stuttered, as her cheeks turned extra rosy. “Y-you think I’m your wife? Perhaps you are more inebriated that you look…”

“Oh… so (hic)… we’re  _ not _ married?” Oz asked, seeming a little disappointed.

“I-I’m flattered, truly! But… no. I’m your girlfriend…” She answered.

“Girlfriend? Wow… I mushta hit the (hic) jackpot!” Oz giggled. “Uh… I fffffeel dizzhy…”

Miranda giggled as she continued to keep Oz’s head on her lap. Even when he’s hammered to high hell, he still manages to make her laugh.

“I’m the fortunate one…” She quietly said to herself, her gentle hand stroking Oz’s hair until he fell asleep under her fingers. Holding him like this… it felt so calm and intimate. Her knight in shining armor, now sleeping against her like a puppy. She’ll watch over him until he gets better… and then a little longer…


	19. Christmas

“So… there’s a couple of things to know about my parents.” Oz said, nervously tugging at his jacket collar as he walked down the neighborhood with Miranda. It was Christmas Eve, and this was the first time he’s been back home with his parents in a long time.

“Oh?” Miranda curiously asked. “What about them?”

Oz took a deep breath… he was very close to his house now, and his heart was beating.

“Well… first, I was… adopted.” He began. Seeing Miranda listening intently, he continued. “Uh… I also have two moms.” He added.

“Oh, Ozzy, that’s nothing to worry about.” She mused. “Families come in all shapes and sizes.”

“Y-yeah.” Oz sighed. “Uh… there’s one more thing. J-just don’t freak out, please? I haven’t told them about you yet...”

“Freak out?”

“You see, they’re… uh… they-”

“Oz?” An older voice called out from just up the road. Oz winced for a moment as a woman stepped out from the house up ahead.

Oz simply smiled and waved. “H-hi, Ma…”

Miranda got a closer look at the woman… she was taller and older than both of them, with a pale complexion, and raven black hair. But there was something… odd. She didn’t have any fur or horns or fangs or a tail… this “Ma” didn’t look like any monster Miranda had recognized.

“Oh! Rachel! Oz is home!” Ma called into the house. “And… who is this?” She asked, turning back to the couple.

Oz cleared his throat. “Ma, this is Miranda… She’s my girlfriend.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, madam.” Miranda said, with a gentle curtsey.

“Aww! What a cute costume you’re wearing.” Ma said as she went to pinch Miranda’s cheeks.

“Actually, Ma… sh-she’s… a mermaid.” Oz hesitantly answered. Ma just chuckled a little as she let both of them inside.

“Oh, don’t we all love to pretend? You know I used to pretend I was a mermaid… dreamed of being one too.”

“But I  _ am _ a mermaid.” Miranda pointed out. “You are in the presence of Princess Miranda Vanderbilt.”

“Such a good actress…!” Ma commented as Miranda just pouted.

“Oz, you never told me you were raised by  _ humans. _ ” Miranda quietly said to him.

“I-I know… please, just be cool. They don’t meet a lot of monsters…” Oz whispered in return.

“Uh, Ma…” Oz coughed, turning his attention back to his Ma. “You know how I’m…  _ different? _ ” He asked, a little embarrassed. “I… met her at school. The school for… uh…  _ different _ folk.” And with that, his mother’s eyes widened.

“Oh! OH! I am so sorry, Miranda!” Ma apologized. “I-I didn’t mean to offend you in any way!” Well, looks like we know where Oz learned his apologetic nature from.

“There’s no need to apologize Mrs… uhh… I don’t know what to call you; Oz seems to have no surname.” Miranda said.

“Just call me Alyssa,” Ma informed her as the second mother, Rachel, made her way downstairs.

“Sorry I’m late! Was making myself presentable…” She apologized as she saw her adoptive son still in the doorway. Immediately, she swept him up in her arms. “Oh! Ozwald! So glad you’re home for Christmas!” Miranda couldn’t help but giggle.

“Mom…! You’re embarrassing me…! And also squishing me!”

“Oh, did I hear something about a girlfriend?!” Rachel laughed. “Oz, you lucky devil, she’s so cute!”

“Mom!”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Miranda repeated. “My name is Miranda.”

“Cute  _ and _ polite?” Rachel laughed, finally letting Oz go from her bone-crushing hug. “I say she’s a keeper, Ozzie Oz-born.”

“Ray-Ray…” Alyssa began, turning her wife to their son, pink as the inside of a watermelon.

“Whoops… Sorry…”

“It’s… it’s fine, Mom…” Oz responded, attention going back to the giggling Miranda.

“Ozzie, there’s no need to be embarrassed. I don’t mind any of it.” She reassured with a smile. In truth, they reminded her of her own parents, doting on and embarrassing her quite often. I know, a princess getting embarrassed by her parents? What sort of madness was this?! Nevertheless, the point was that she was used to it.

“Anyway, welcome to our humble abode. I know it’s not much for a  _ princess _ such as yourself.” Alyssa welcomed as she guided Miranda to the couch. “Make yourself at home.”

She shouldn’t have said that…

With a whistle, Miranda was flanked by a multitude of serfs, surprisingly Oz’s moms greatly.

“Oh! Oh my!”

“Oh no…”

The serfs marched into Oz’s home, quickly tidying up anything they could get their hands on. The Christmas tree in the living room was spruced up and the needles were swept out from underneath it. The humdrum couch was quickly replaced with something newer, more modern and a lot bigger, but thankfully could still reasonable fit into the room. The coffee table was repaired and dusted so that it looked like new, as was the carpet underneath. Finally, whatever serfs remained waited in the shadows for dinner while one more waited by the couch to be used as an ottoman for the princess.

“That… was actually better than I was expecting.” Oz said as he sat down on the new couch, followed by his moms.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to toss out that old thing anyway.” Rachel commented.

“This is how royalty lives? I could get used to this…!” Alyssa commented before taking out her wallet and offering the ottoman serf a tip for their services. Now this was a concept that was foreign to Miranda. Paying her serfs, let alone tipping them, was considered taboo. She was about to comment on this when Oz put up a hand.

“But… why?”

“It’s just customary for humans.” Oz informed. “Don’t worry about it.”

“So… a mermaid?” Rachel asked, sitting herself down on the new couch while Alyssa retreated to the kitchen to fetch drinks. “Are there… others like you? Like… monster-people?”

“Of course!” Miranda answered. “Spooky High is  _ filled _ with monsters! There are ghosts and zombies and werewolves and--”

“Now isn’t, ‘monsters,’ a bit… harsh?” Alyssa asked.

“Well… we’re all monsters, but we’re not, you know,  _ monsters _ .” Oz informed.

“I think I get it?” Rachel said. “They’re still relatively good people, right?”

Oz and Miranda just looked at each other. They exchanged unsure glances, and quietly muttered to each other… but Rachel and Alyssa could still hear.

“Is Polly a good person?” Oz whispered.

“Morally, not really…”

“What about Liam?”

“Maybe not…”

“Okay, what about Scott and Vicky?”

“Oh, of course! They’re just too pure!”

“And the Coven are pretty nice… sometimes.”

“Who?”

Oz just sighed in response. They then looked over at the two women.

“Yeah. They’re all good people.” Oz quickly said to his mothers with Miranda nodding afterwards.

“It… seems like you have quite the friend circle.” Alyssa chuckled, handing mugs of tea to Oz, Rachel, and Miranda.

“You could say that…”

“We’d love to see your yearbook, too!” Rachel added.

Miranda spoke to object but Oz stood up and headed towards his old room.

“I think I have it upstairs. Be right back!”

Now Miranda was alone with two human females. She heard things about humans, that they could very well be more monstrous than monsters, that they believe that they are the dominant species, that they had done horrifying, terrible things to _their_ _own kind_. Truly, a creature after Miranda’s own heart.

“So… forgive me if I’m stepping over some boundaries, but how do you breathe?” Alyssa asked. “Like…  _ above _ water?”

“I’ve grown accustomed to breathing in air instead of water throughout my time living up here.” Miranda answered. “Being in a town by the beach most certainly helps.”

“Well, that’s good.” Alyssa sighed in relief. “If you need any water, we have plenty of purified water in the fridge.” These women were so… nice! Nothing like the rumors Miranda heard at all. She wasn’t sure if she liked that they weren’t like what humans were described to be or not.

“Oh, what about a tail?” Rachel cautiously asked. “Mermaids don’t usually have legs… do they?”

“I do have a tail, back at home.” Miranda stated. “Fortunately, I didn’t have to make a deal with a sea witch to give me these legs. I just had to ask my father for them when I stated I wished to attend secondary school above water.”

“I remember when Oz heard about Monster Middle School.” Alyssa reminisced. “He would go on about how there was a school for people like him, how he wouldn’t get bullied anymore.”

“We, of course, got him registered right away, and even moved over here from Smalltownburg to be closer to it.” Rachel added.

“So… you mean to tell me Oz was always picked on…?” Miranda asked, feeling quite terrible now. His mothers quietly nodded.

“Well…  he’s already made such great friends after the move.” Rachel remarked. “Not to mention someone who cares for him deeply.”

“Yes, he’s said so much about you! I’m just glad we’re able to meet this sweet girl in person.” Alyssa responded, giving Miranda a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re… you’re welcome.” Miranda replied, hugging back.

“I’m back…” Oz called from the stairs, carrying the Spooky High yearbook of 20XX, as well as a small box. If he had a visible mouth, he would’ve smiled at the sight of his girlfriend warming up to his moms so quickly. He handed the yearbook to his parents, and as they were occupied with it, passed the small box to Miranda.

“What’s this?” Miranda asked.

“Just a small Christmas gift.” Oz answered. Before Miranda could open it, they heard the sound of giggles from his parents.

“These superlatives are… out there.” Rachel pointed out. “Most likely to make Pluto a planet again? Best at impersonating a plate of spaghetti?”

“Aww~! Oz was voted Most diplomatic smile!” Alyssa said as she observed Oz’s superlative under his yearbook photo, which was equally adorable, despite the lack of a smile.

“Ma…”

“What? Do you not agree that this is a smile of diplomacy?” Miranda asked, nuzzling her boyfriend.

“Changing the subject… why don’t you open your gift?” Oz suggested.

Miranda didn’t need to be told twice. Her heart quickened, and she popped the lid open. Sitting inside the box was a small silver chain, with a brilliant seashell-shaped piece of turquoise attached to it.

“This is lovely…!” Miranda gasped, tears nearly forming as Oz helped her put it on. Both his mothers happily watched in silence, holding each other’s hand with pride in their eyes.

“It looks even better on you.” Oz complimented as he gave her a kiss. “Merry Christmas, Miri.” He smiled earning a smile from each of his mothers.

“Our little boy’s grown up so fast.” Alyssa said with a smile.

“Ma…!”

“So! Who wants dinner?” Rachel asked as she immediately made her way to the kitchen, bringing back four sub sandwiches made with honey-glazed ham, turkey, and cranberry sauce. “Sorry if it’s not like thing like you’re used to. We don’t have much.”

“Oh, it’s more than enough.” Miranda smiled.

“Oh, shouldn’t you make some more for Miranda’s… uhh…”

“Serfs? Well, normally I give them my food. But it is Christmas; I suppose you can’t have enough.” Miranda answered, earning a smile from each and every serf currently in Oz’s home. When did they get back in here?

“I’m… I’m gonna have to get to work then with the food we have left.” Rachel remarked.

“No need. My chef serf will be able to replicate these for everybody no problem.” Miranda acknowledged. No sooner had she finished that, there were enough sandwiches to feed everyone, twice.

“Boy, they work quick…!” Alyssa said, still impressed. They all gathered around the coffee table, ready to feast, but waiting for the permission of either Princess Miranda or these much nicer ladies. “Oz, would you like to say grace?” Alyssa then asked.

“Grace?” Miranda asked as she felt Oz’s hand hold hers.

“It’s something my family does before we eat.” Oz explained as his mothers joined hands with them. The two humans bowed their heads, and the serfs and Miranda followed in suit as Oz began.

“If I must be frank, I do not know if a higher power exists… but if there is, I must have done something right to be this fortunate. I thank you not just for my kind, caring parents, but for the friends and loved ones I’ve gained throughout my life. Thank you for protecting them for this long, and my only wish is that fortune is returned upon them. Amen.”

“Amen.” Everyone repeated and they began their meal.

“May I add something?” Miranda asked. “I’m… I’m also grateful for having you in my life, Ozwald, and that your parents are so accepting.” She admitted.

“And we’re thankful to welcome you into our family.” Alyssa replied.

“Isn’t it a little early for that? It’s not like they’re married yet.” Rachel pointed out.

“I know, but I still want her to feel welcome.”

“Fair enough, dearie.”

Miranda gave another kiss to Oz, who felt much less embarrassed in front of his parents. He wasn’t sure if he could consider this his best Christmas ever yet, but it was definitely a contender.


	20. Snowball Fight

January… A relaxing time of year. Christmas had passed, and all the holiday hassle was long gone. No more stressing over gifts and presents. No more planning and decorating and cooking.

Now… it was just a good time to enjoy the company with the people you love.

Oz didn’t even mind the snow. It was almost… sentimental. Everyone went on about how much they hated the cold… it didn’t feel fair to hate on winter so much. Someone had to root for the underdog, even if the “underdog,” in this case was an entire season. Not to mention, the snow was gorgeous to look at, covering houses and trees for blocks around.

He strolled down the streets of his neighborhood with Miranda, having offered to walk her to the park so they could go ice skating. She happily agreed, of course.

“I love this weather… it’s so quiet…” Oz sighed, arm in arm with his princess.

“It’s quite lovely, I must agree.” Miranda mused. 

This is what Oz lived for. The quiet moments… the relaxing moments. The stillness. Winter just felt so… peaceful.

Up until he felt the stinging cold ball of snow smack him in the side of his head. It felt like he was falling in slow motion, as the ice robbed him of his balance. He hit the ground with a  _ THUD _ , only to see Miranda looking over him.

“Oz?! Are you okay, my knight?!”

Her voice echoed, and his vision was blurry… but he was still alive, so that was a plus. Were his ears ringing or was he hearing someone laughing? Actually, it was two somebodies.

Miranda looked over, and two more familiar faces came into view… he recognized that laughter.

“Sorry bro!” Scott laughed, giving Oz a hand to help him up. “We were just showin’ each other our killer pitches!”

“Sorry about that, Ozzy.” Amira said, brushing the snow of the fear monster. Miranda just looked on, rage slowly building up.

“How DARE you hurt my beloved!” She huffed, pulling Oz back to her side. “Your frozen violation of peace will  _ not _ go unanswered!”

“Chill, fishstick.” Amira scoffed. “We said we were sorry.”

“Well, sorry doesn't it cut it, hothead!” Miranda shouted as she raised her gloved hand to her mouth, whistled loudly and summoned roughly a dozen serfs. “This means  _ war _ !”

“Woah, easy!” Amira said. “It’s just a snowball! We don’t need to get so violent!”

“Did someone say  _ ‘violent’ _ ?!” A gruff voice answered from behind Scott… 

Before the others knew it, the Wolfpack had emerged from the woodwork, howling and hollering at the promise of a good old-fashioned brawl. “Nobody threatens our boy Scott without hearing from us!” The leader called out before Amira cleared her throat. “And… his mate too, I guess.”

“Oh, hey guys!” Scott happily waved. “We were just getting ready to have a super snowball battle-royale!”

“We were?” Oz asked.

“We most definitely are.” Miranda answered. “Last man (or lady) standing wins. To your battle stations!” she ordered as her serfs quickly built a snow fortress. Almost immediately, the Wolfpack began building their own fort, with all the grace and finesse of a cow tumbling down the stairs. 

“M-Miranda… it was just an accident.” Oz said, trying to defend his friends.

“It was no accident! They just made an attempt on your life! It cannot be forgiven!”

“It was a _snowball_ …”

“What if that snowball had a rock in it!? Or a knife?! What if it was  _ poisoned _ !? It wouldn’t be  _ just _ a snowball, now then, would it?”

Miranda and Oz then looked down and saw as her serfs made functioning snow cannons and fully fortified cover. How they were able to do that with just snow, Oz will never know.

The Wolfpack, on the other hand… well… They made a lot of snowballs. Like, a  _ lot. _ And a rather big snowman that served as something to hide behind. That was Scott’s idea.

Well, it seemed that both sides were ready…

“Soldiers, fire at will.” Miranda ordered, waving her hand as she reclined on her snow throne.

With a thunderous  _ BOOM _ , the snow-cannons fired at the Wolfpack… only for them to be harmlessly pelted with a flurry of flakes.

“You fools!” Miranda barked. “You built anti-aircraft weaponry! They have infantry, you imbeciles!  _ Infantry! _ ”

The serfs quickly scrambled to build snowballs by hand, but the Wolfpack had already begun their assault. Even Amira and Scott joined in, lobbing volley after volley at Miranda’s serfs.

Like a hail of mortar, somehow their ammo exploded against the fortified barriers of the Vanderbilt Battalion. Several brave merfolk were wounded by their attacks, leaving them incapacitated.

Someone screams for a snow-medic, but none arrives. Another bombshell of snow blankets the area, while Miranda sat comfortable, yet unenthused, from the sidelines.

“No! No! No! Don’t die! You’re supposed to be winning, not losing! Do you hear me!? That’s an order!” She shouted. “Oz! What are we going to do!? My serfs are too pathetic to defend your honor, even after I  _ specifically _ told them to not die!”

… Why did she have to put pressure on him? Okay, Oz, you can either try to sacrifice yourself and lead Miranda’s army to victory or go forward to arrange a truce. Good thing Oz was feeling rather bold today.

Oz left the safety of the sidelines, and hurried into the trenches that her serfs had somehow dug up. Crafting a snow-mortar, Oz helped unleash a retaliation of his own.

“Oz! What are you doing!?” Miranda shouted. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

He didn’t listen. He was already building as much snow-related weaponry as he could. He gave the serfs that were still alive snow-rifles with snow-bayonets attached, and soon stormed no-monsters-land with a last desperate charge.

The Wolfpack, taken aback, was too stricken with shock and awe as Oz led the charge, and Miranda’s serfs got within melee range to deliver icy justice. The serfs and the werewolves tore each other to figurative pieces, destroying each other’s forces in a matter of seconds.

But now… he had two soldiers in particular to worry about. He quickly grabbed a lump of snow and hurled it at Scott, who didn’t even notice.

“Woah! Those fish guys are goin’ crazy!” He gasped, only watching the carnage. “War truly is hell… oh, hey! I got hit. I guess I’m down now.” The werewolf shrugged, before rolling in the snow like the good boy he was.

Another snowy impact hit Oz. This time, square in the chest. Oz looked over as he fell to the ground, seeing Amira with her own handful of snowballs. She single-handedly took out the serfs, meaning there were no more merfolk or werewolves left...

“Not bad, Yellow.” the djinn chuckled. “I didn’t know you had the guts. You had a good run, but it’s over. I’m the last one standing.”

_ FWAP! _

A stray snowball hit Amira right in the chest as she too fell. How was this possible? Every other person of the Vanderbilt Snow Army had fallen. Unless…!

“No one messes with Miranda Vanderbilt!” The mermaid beckoned from atop her battlements, sculpting another projectile.

Getting up from the snow, Amira’s flame doubled in size… only to simmer back down.

“Well… you got me, fishstick.” She admitted, getting back up and brushing the snow off of her jacket.

“Okay… we’re done.” Oz sighed, standing between the girls before things got hairy again. “Can we please go back to being friends now?” He asked.

There was a bit of silence… neither girl wanted to give an inch yet.

“How about we get some cocoa?” Oz offered. “My treat?”

“Oooh! That sounds good! Can we get some, Amira? Please please please!?” Scott asked, immediately sitting up Scott asked, smiling at his djinn girlfriend with a child-like hopefulness in his eyes.

“Scott, you can’t have chocolate! Remember?” Amira reminded him, causing him to pout.

“Aww…”

“It’s quite alright… I know a good cafe.” Miranda began. “Do you like chai tea, Scott?”

“Do I!?” The werewolf answered. “Wait, I dunno. Do I?”

Scott and Miranda eagerly began to continue down the sidewalk, while Amira and Oz lagged behind, and leaving the serfs and the Wolfpack behind to clean up the mess… 


	21. Family

“So… Ozwald, was it?”

He could feel the voice of Lord Vanderbilt shake his very core. He could feel the cold stare of not one, not two, but  _ five  _ pairs of eyes as he sat beside Miranda.

The parlor itself was the most opulent thing Oz had ever seen. Marble, velvet, silver and gold… the Vanderbilt estate in a nutshell. It would be a lot nicer if he wasn’t being stared down by Miranda’s mother, father, and sisters. He felt like a guppy in front of a pack of sharks… and they were just  _ waiting _ for the scent of blood.

Lord Vanderbilt himself had a commanding presence, and the stature to boot. His body was adorned with extensive regalia, and an ornate silver crown reminiscent of a trident’s teeth. Despite being Miranda’s father, there was not much physical resemblance. His hair and trimmed beard were a dark, nearly black brown, while his skin had a teal-blue hue.

It was certainly clear that Miranda had gotten her looks from her mother. The familiar pink and red matched a much more mature form… as if Oz was staring at an older version of Miranda. A silver tiara sat atop Lady Vanderbilt’s head, and her cascading crimson locks fell well past her shoulders. Her arms were adorned with plenty of bracelets, bangles, and various jewelry… all rattling whenever her arms moved.

Miranda’s sisters also sat across from Oz… what were their names again? Bellanda, Amanda, and… Laura? No, Laudanda? Oz realized they were all waiting for a response… this silence had gone on long enough…

“U-uh… Yessir… M-my friends just call me Oz.” he meekly answered, giving a nervous smile to Miranda.

Their piercing gaze continued for a brief moment, only to melt away, and return a warm smile. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I see my little Miranda chose well.” Lord Vanderbilt chuckled. He looked over his shoulder to the serfs waiting by the door. “What are you waiting for? Our guest has been here a whole five minutes, and you haven’t served him yet! Are you  _ asking _ to be sent to the dungeon?!” He barked.

The serfs cowered, then hurried off to the kitchen. Lord Vanderbilt turned back to Oz, still smiling warmly.

“Ah, you seem nervous, my boy. Relax.”

“Yes, tell us about yourself, dear!” Miranda’s mother added.

Oz gulped… the tone of the room definitely changed. The Vanderbilts definitely seemed much more inviting, but Oz couldn’t shake this… pressure coming off them. Something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He looked over to Miranda, who took a moment to answer her parents.

“Ozzy’s in a band!” She happily chirped. “He played just last week with his friends in the school’s talent show!”

“A band, you say?” Lord Vanderbilt repeated, raising an eyebrow. “What instrument?”

“O-oh, I play bass guitar.” He nervously answered. “Uh… b-but sometimes I sing, too.”

“Oooh! A vocalist!” Miranda’s mother cooed. “I remember my days as a singer! It’s how I met Miri’s father, after all!”

The two elder merfolk shared a laugh, and let their hands rest over each other. Miranda’s father stood up from the lavish furniture, and his family followed suit. “I do hope you’re hungry, Ozwald. We’ll be having Sharktopus Roast tonight.”

“O-oh! I-I’d be honored to stay for dinner, your highness!” Oz quickly stammered, only for Lord Vanderbilt to give him a dismissive wave.

“Oh, no need for such formality, Ozwald.” He chuckled. “You ladies can get started without us. I’d like a moment alone with the boy.”

Miranda blew a kiss to Oz as she followed her mother and sisters to the dining hall. Now that it was just the two of them, Oz felt a strange uncertainty creep back up his spine.

“Tell me, Ozwald. Are you a good swimmer?” He asked, hardly taking a moment to break his noble posture.

“Uh… w-well, I-I’d like to think I am. I-I mean, I hardly swim as much as Miranda, but I c-can handle myself in water.”

“Hmm. Very good.” He remarked with a nod. “Now, if I may speak frankly for a moment… there’s one thing I’d like you to know about my daughter.”

“… Oh?” Oz meekly asked. “Wh-what’s that?”

“Well, she’s very important to me… all my daughters are. I am a father first, and a king second. If anything happened to them, well, I would be very,  _ very _ upset…”

Oz said nothing in return… he didn’t like where this was headed. Lord Vanderbilt turned to face Oz, and the menacing aura struck Oz yet again.

“So, if someone were to so much as…  _ break _ my daughter’s heart, I would have to… as you say, ‘bring the hammer down,’ on them… or in my case, the trident.”

Oz swallowed hard. He gathered whatever courage he had within himself to look back up at Lord Vanderbilt… only to be met with his steely grey eyes cutting right through him.

“Aha! I kid, my boy, it’s all in good fun!” The king laughed, giving Oz a hearty pat on the back. “Look at this old merman, talking to his daughter’s date about capital punishment! Haha! Ah, I must be losing my touch with what’s ‘hip’ with the kids these days!”

“Heh… heheh…” Oz chuckled in return, still trembling despite the king’s sudden changes in demeanor.

“Now, let us join the ladies of the house. It would be rude to keep them waiting.”

“Uh… right.”

“One more thing. Has Miranda taught you how to use a butter dagger? She takes her silverware very seriously.”

“Uh… y-yeah. I’ll get by.”


	22. Love Poem

“ _ I am the earth, you’re my glorious sun _ …” Oz read aloud. He tapped his pencil against his desk, reading the syllables with each tap.

He let out and exasperated sigh. “No, no, no… that’s stupid.” He grumbled, crunching his paper into a ball and tossing it over his shoulder. The waste bin was already filled with similar balls of paper, all discarded within the last hour.

Oz had been in the library for quite some time now. Rather than studying like a sensible, productive student, Oz was preoccupied with the poem he struggled to bring into words. He wanted to do something  _ special _ for Miri… why not use a poem? That wasn’t cliched or weird, was it?

“ _ I think that I shall never see… a lady as lovely as thee _ ?” He muttered, his hand jotting down the words as he spoke. “Ugh… who am I kidding?”

Another scrunched up paper, another toss to the waste bucket. Wait a second… wasn’t it full a moment ago? Ah, whatever. He returned to the notepad in front of him, which was growing thinner by the minute.

The silence of the library was broken by a low rumble… followed by a brilliant light that quickly caught Oz’s attention.

The light came from beside him… the waste bin? It wasn’t until a luscious head of blue hair poked itself out, warping space and time until the Interdimensional Prince literally climbed out of the trash, and right in front of Oz, holding a piece of paper, uncrumpled.

“Normally, I’d berate thee to stop throwing thine garbage in my dimension, but this particular garbage has my attention.” He declared.

Oz quickly got to his feet. He didn’t have time to question why a portal to the Prince’s Dimension was in a trash can, but if he’s here, then it can only mean he’s here to literally steal someone away.

“Wh-what?! What do you want? I swear, you won’t be kidnapping anyone today!” Oz stammered, trying his best to seem intimidating. The Prince certainly wasn’t shaken.

“Please. I have a life outsideth my conquest for marriage, thou knowst.” He sighed. “But I couldn’t help but notice thou art trying to master the art of the love poem…”

“Uh…”

“Tell me, whom do you plan to woo with such an art?” The Prince asked. “Don’t be shy, fellow champion of love. If there’s one thing I, the Great and Charismatic Interdimensional Prince love, it’s love itself! Which means that I simply  _ must _ take any chance I get to spread love whereverst it may be. Consider me your man of many wings!”

“You mean… ‘wingman’?”

“Precisely!”

Oz hesitated to answer for a while. “Miranda.” He finally said. “But she’s already my girlfriend, s-so hands off.”

“Ah, the pink one!” He nodded. “Well, fear not, my ochre friend. I, the Fabulous and Suave Interdimensional Prince, shall aid you in your quest to craft the perfect poem, fit to captivate the beautiful Amanda!”

“Y-you mean Miranda.”

“Yes, yes, that too. Now, let us begin.” The prince said. He quickly sat down, and grabbed a pen from his pocket. His hand started to dance across the paper, forming rather… peculiar stanzas.

_ "Oh freddled gruntbuggly, _

_ Thy micturations are to me _

_ As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee. _

_ Groop, I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes, _

_ And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles, _

_ Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts _

_ With my blurglecruncheon, see if I don't!" _

 

Oz blinked. What the hell was he reading? He looked up to the Prince, who was beaming with pride. “Marvelous, isn’t it? My dimension’s poetry is renowned across the multiverse!”

Apparently,  _ this _ dimension didn’t get the memo. Oz couldn’t give this to Miri… this was half gibberish! Even his phobias were wincing just reading those words.

“Um… maybe we should try something a little more… contemporary?”

“Hmm. Very well. Perhaps Cassandra would’st prefer something a little less perfect. After all, she must already be used to perfection!

“Uh… M-Miranda.” Oz corrected again.

The Prince ignored him. 

“My most goopulous mai-” He began to write, before Oz cut him off.

“No, no, stop.” Oz interrupted. “Goopulous? You can’t put  _ ‘goopulous’  _ in a love poem.”

“Oh? And why’st not?”

“It’s not… romantic.”

“I beg to differ. You asked for help writing poetry, and I am simply doing just that!”

“I  _ didn’t _ ask, actually.”

“Well, I am here. As they say in thine dimension: ‘dealeth with it’.”

“I’m stuck with you until we finish a poem, aren’t I.”

“Indeed.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I bother getting out of bed…” Oz grumbled.

Miranda was busy admiring herself as her serfs did her homework, so busy, in fact, that she didn’t notice a familiar shy monster watching from afar, a sheet of paper in his trembling hands.

“I don’t know about this…!” he whispered to his co-conspirator.

“I do!” The Prince proclaimed, giving Oz a push closer to Miranda.

Now Oz had caught her attention. There was no turning back now.

“Oh. Good evening, Ozwald.” Miranda greeted with a smile. He just waved in return, his voice having left him. He then glanced back at the love poem he and the Interdimensional Prince wrote together…! Oh boy…!

“Miranda… uhh…” Well, no going back now. Oz took a deep breath.

 

“ _ Between the sky and the sea, _

_ Blue as can be, _

_ As deep and as wide as my love. _

 

_ So cast me a line, _

_ My lady so divine, _

_ And pull me from below so I can see above. _ ”

 

Incredibly short, sure, but incredibly sweet nonetheless. “Ozzy, that was wonderful!” the princess chirped. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, which Oz quickly reciprocated. He glanced back to where the Prince was hiding, only for him to nod, and vanish into another trash bin.

“I never realized what a marvelous wordsmith you are.” Miranda added.

“Heh… I’m a poet and I didn’t even realize.” Oz chuckled.

“You should teach me sometime.”

“I don’t need to.” Oz answered. “You’re already poetry in motion.”

“Oh, stop…!” Miranda giggled, feigning modesty. “But…  _ do _ go on.”


	23. The Little Things

Miranda awoke to the buzz of her phone on her nightstand. Her eyes slowly peeled open, and her hands instinctively straightened out her hair as she sat up. It was a bit early in the morning to wake up… but she was a light sleeper.

Curious, she picked up her phone and rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. A single text lit up her screen.

_ Good morning, princess. I love you _ .

The mermaid’s face gave way to a smile. She knew exactly who this was from.

* * *

 

Oz stifled a yawn… nothing made him more tired that history class after lunch. He just looked forward to the end of another Thursday…

He stopped by his locker to fetch his chemistry textbook. Just one more class… then he could go home.

After twisting his combination into the lock, his door fell open as a box tumbled from the shelf. How did that get in there?

It was a long, thin cardboard box, wrapped with a pink ribbon. No tag or any card…

He tugged at the ribbon, loosening it up and popping the lid off. Inside was… a fork. A silver fork, with three prongs, rather than four. It’s handle was engraved with a detailed, nouveau paisley pattern. It was certainly shiny… and it smelled kinda nice.

As it sank in, Oz looked up. He caught a glimpse of scarlet hair, just leaving his view around the corner, accompanied by a faint giggle he could pick out of a crowd.

He knew.

* * *

 

“...and that’s why the Lemurians were airpeople sympathizers and needed to be removed from the throne immediately.” Miranda happily wrapped up, while her serfs chowed down on her lunch for her.

“Miranda, for the twentieth time: I don’t care.” Vera groaned, running a file over her nails. The gorgon glanced up from her manicure, and noticed something different. “Hmmm… where’s that yellow loser? He’s never missed a chance to suck up to you at lunch.”

“Oh, hush.” Miranda pouted.

Miranda’s caught something in the corner of her eye. A serf groveling on the floor beside her, with a small parcel in his hands.

“C-candygram for you, my liege.” The serf whimpered. Miranda picked up the small package… a cylindrical box wrapped in simple brown paper and bound with string. There was a tag that read:  _ ‘To the sweetest~’ _

“F-forgive my ignorance, your majesty.” The serf piped up. “I-I don’t know who sent it. Shall I dispose of it?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Miranda answered. “Leave me.”

The serf bowed and nodded repeatedly, backing his way out of the cafeteria.

“Candygram?” Vera repeated, raising an eyebrow as Miranda began unwrapping the gift. “Talk about sappy.”

Miranda didn’t pay the gorgon any mind as she unwrapped her gift. A single cupcake in a box, with pink icing dotted with yellow sprinkles. A small grin lit up her face.

“What? Aren’t you worried about poison or something?” Vera asked.

“Not at all.” Miranda remarked, looking back at the tag that the parcel was wrapped in. She recognized that handwriting…

She knew.


	24. Truth

Miranda hadn’t seen Oz since yesterday. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence… she acknowledged that he had his own personal life. But she should probably check in. After lunch, she retreated outside… maybe they could meet up for a moment. Just to say ‘hi’.

Ah, there he is! Miranda spotted him just as she stepped outside. He was headed into the school’s bathrooms with Amira and… that zombie boy. What was his name again? Ryan? No matter. She followed them to the stalls, catching only a piece of their conversation.

“Alright, Oz. Your turn.” Amira’s voice said from inside. “Truth or Dare?”

“Uh… t-truth.” He answered.

“Okay, then. Why do you like Miri so much?”

Miranda froze. She was just about to pull the door open, but she stopped herself. They didn’t know she could hear them… she took a step back to listen.

“Wh-what?” Oz answered. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… what do you see in her?” Amira asked.

“Yeah…” The zombie added. “I mean… you could be going out with Polly, or Vera. Why wouldn’t you?”

Miranda’s heart sank for a moment, but she stayed undetected. She wasn’t one to eavesdrop… actually, she was. But now… she had a chance to hear just what she meant to Oz.

“Uh… I-I- y-you guys know I can’t…” Oz stuttered.

“Go on, say it.” Amira said.

There was a brief silence between them.

“I-I won’t lie… Polly and Vera are both beautiful. I-In their own way. I just… I think Miri’s the right one, you know?”

Oz sounded quite flustered. It was clear he wasn’t used to just spewing the truth like this. But Miranda’s curiosity was getting the better of her. Did Oz really have eyes for someone else?

“Polly’s great… but she’s a little much for me. I-I don’t think I can keep up with her, is all. She spends her time partying a-and flirting with people she doesn’t know… but  _ I _ need space. I just need to be alone sometimes, and I feel like she wouldn’t understand what that’s like. Maybe we’re just too different.”

“And Vera?” the green one asked.

“Yeah, she’s… uh… hot. But how can you not be scared of her?” Oz began. “If I so much as  _ look _ at her wrong, she wouldn’t hesitate to have me gutted! Vera can have anything she wants… and she’s doing fine without me, so I’m  _ not _ going to impose.”

Amira was still asking for more. “But what about Va-”

“Stop. Miranda just makes me feel good, okay?” Oz interjected. “Just being near her makes me feel… happier. I want to be happy. I want to be happy with  _ her _ . Not with Polly, not with Vera, not any other girl! I’m already lucky enough to have her like me back… I wouldn’t ask for anything else.”

Miranda rubbed a tear off her cheek. So that’s how he really felt… he really did love her. And here she was, worrying that he liked other girls…

“Damn… alright then.” Amira sighed. “Brian, it’s your turn.”

Perhaps she’ll say hello some other time. She turned away from the bathrooms, and left Oz with his friends… smiling warmly, and looking forward to seeing him again.


	25. Impressions

“Come on, do Liam!” Damien laughed.

“Hey! I’m _right_ here, you know!” Liam retorted.

“Yeah, that’s what’s gonna make it fun!” The demon laughed, before his eyes looked back at Oz at the lunch table.

Oz took a deep breath and another sip of Damien’s whiskey before setting up another impression. He then straightened his back in his seat, and pushed an imaginary set of glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Well, _actually…_ ” He began, putting on a nasally voice. “The 1994 version of the _Mechanicles_ cartoon is superior to other franchises at the time, mainly due to its extensive worldbuilding and rich lore found on their promotional comics that were discontinued in 95’.”

“Ha! This nerd’s got you down, other nerd!” Damien interrupted, lightly punching Oz in the shoulder with boisterous laughter. “He sounds just like you!”

“Hmmph. Well, it’s _true._ ” Liam huffed.

“Sorry.” Oz chuckled, dropping character.

“It’s fine… just do an impression of Damien, and we’ll be even.” The vampire answered.

“Hey!” Damien barked.

Oz wasted no time putting on a gruff, brutish act. All his time in the auditorium was paying off.

“Last week, I punched fire in the face!” Oz began. “And then I stabbed the fire! And then stabbed a dude with the fire! And then I got detention for stabbing a second dude with the first dude! And then I set the detention on fire! Testostorone! Gaaaaaaah!”

There was a pause as the two evaluated his impersonation.

“Okay, that was actually spot on.” Damien admitted.

“Quite.” Liam nodded.

“Okay, do someone else!”

“Really?” Oz sighed.

“Come now, Oz. Surely you realize the importance of the rule of threes.” Liam answered.

“Hey, how about Miranda?” Damien suggested.

“Uh…”

“Oh, perfect!” Liam laughed. “I’m sure you won’t disappoint! Let’s see your biting wit tear that despot apart!”

Did… did either of them know Oz was dating Miri? This didn’t seem like the best idea. “Um… I-I-” Oz stammered.

“Come on!” Damien said, nudging him a little harder. “Don’t let me get bored, dorkwad.”

Oz took one more swig of liquor… he’d need it.

“Don’t you know who my daddy is?!” Oz began, doing his best to sound entitled. “I’m royalty, you know! I’ll have my many malnourished serfs explain to you just how rich and spoiled I am! And if you even _suggest_ I’m wrong, then I’ll throw a hissy fit and have you executed!”

“AHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, that’s rich!” Damien howled.

“Uh, Damien-” Liam nervously coughed.

“My god! I’ve never hear anyone describe that bi-”

“Damien!”

“What? It was funny, wasn’t it?”

“What?” Oz asked. “What’s wrong?”

Liam made a cutting-off gesture over his neck, and looked over both their shoulders. Oz and Damien slowly turned around, seeing Miranda tightly clenching her fists, and her eye twitching with fury. How long had she been standing there?

Oz had never been more terrified in his life.

Damien, on the other hand, just vanished in a pillar of flame as he descended back to Hell. Liam also made his leave, transforming into a cloud of ironic fog, and slipping out through the window, to leave Oz alone with the coming storm.

“How… _could_ you!?” Miranda choked. The crack in her voice made Oz wince.

“Miranda, please, I-”

“How could you say that?!” She interrupted. “Is that what you really think about me? Have you been looking for an excuse to break me down like that all along!?”

“Please, just le-”

“No! Maybe since you enjoy impressions so much, maybe _I_ should try it! See if _you_ like how it feels!” Miranda shouted. “Look at me, I’m Oz! I’m scared of everything, even telling my girlfriend how I really feel! I keep all my feelings bottled up and let them poison me from the inside until it manifests into a nervous breakdown! I make jokes about how I’m always depressed, but I just make everyone worried about me!”

“M-Miri…”

“I suck up to everyone hoping they’ll like me and _blind_ to the genuine affection people give me! I think everything nice that happens to me is undeserved and-”

Miranda didn’t finish. One look at Oz’s face was all she needed for her angry tirade to come to a screeching halt. His eyes were streaming with tears, but despite his minimal features, he was holding onto his last ounce of composure.

“Oz… Ozzy, I’m so sorry!” Miranda cried, cupping her hands over mouth. She had said too much. She wanted to hug him, tell him she was sorry, but she couldn’t _un_ -say what she said. The damage was done… but she just wanted things to stay as they always had...

Oz remained quiet. Without so much as a sniffle, he raised his arm and wiped his tears away. Miranda, still reeling from the things she said, wasn’t sure what to do.

“It’s okay…” He croaked, his voice hoarse. He was barely keeping himself together, but he did his best to save face. “I-I’m fine… really.”

“No…” Miranda softly interjected. She stepped forward, clasping his shaking hand with her own. “I-I’m sorry. I know you’re hurt… and I’m probably the last person you want to talk to…”

“Miranda-”

“But I’m going to help you.” She said. “I’m going to stay by your side until you’re finished feeling sad. And after that, I’ll still be there.”

She gave him a brief kiss on the forehead, holding him in her arms. He felt… cold. Unnaturally cold. Miranda didn’t let go. Not now. She felt his own arms hug her back, and tears drip onto her shoulder.

It felt good to let it all out… Oz had to let it out, and there wasn’t anyone in the world he’d rather share his catharsis with.


	26. Haunted House

“Oz… I’m frightened.” Miranda whispered, as they stood in front of the carnival’s most daunting attraction.  **THE SPOOKY SPOOK HOUSE OF TERRAAAAAARRR…AR.™** stood before them, complete with foreboding music and creepy flashing lights. For a cheap town-fair thrill ride, it seemed to be pretty legit. After all, Damien and Polly had already ridden it four times.

To say Oz was frightened too was an understatement… the dude was literally made out of fears… it’s no surprise he had every phobia in the book. Spiders, heights, public speaking, Vera, spiders again…

But there was an exception. Oz could face any of his fears, provided he had a pretty face on his side. And he couldn’t ask for a prettier face. Maybe this was his chance to prove himself as a knight in shining armor.

“I-It’s okay Miri…” He responded, trying his hardest not to seem equally afraid. “I-It’ll be fun.”

“O-Okay…” The princess quietly answered. She cautiously stepped into the line, with her hands tightly gripping Oz’s arm.

Damn. Oz secretly hoped that she wouldn’t take him up on that. If she had just backed out, then neither of them would be in this predicament.

The line slowly moved along, as their own dread had more time to build. Before they knew it, the lovebirds were fastened into a slow-moving cart that puttered along the track into a tunnel of dark.

The two trembled in silence as the creepy music picked up to a crescendo… until…

“ _ BLEH!” _

A cheaply-made cardboard skeleton cut-out popped out from the wall. A set of rickety motors caused it’s joints to wiggle like a crappy marionette.

Oz was thrown off more than anything. I mean… he  _ was _ frightened leading up to this… but the payoff was hardly scary. How could anyone be-

“EEK! A BONEMAN! PROTECT THE ROYALTY!” Miranda shrieked, burying her face into Oz’s shoulder. 

Wait… really? Miranda was scared by  _ this _ ? 

“Uh… D-don’t worry, Miri! I’ll keep you safe!” Oz stammered, holding her a little closer as the cart continued to roll forward.

_ “Man, did that sound stupid or what?” _ Oz thought to himself.  _ “Still… this isn’t as bad as I thought…” _

The ride continued to putter along, and after the immersion was broken for Oz, this ride was far from scary… the wallpaper looked like it was drawn by a fourth-grader, and the music playing overhead sounded incredibly compressed and shoddy. With every shitty jumpscare of a cardboard stand, Miranda continued to hide in Oz’s arms.

“ _ Ooooo! I’m the ghost of the money you forgot to invest in your 401K! Ooooo _ !”

“ _ Your risque text message was marked as ‘seen’ two hours ago! And they still haven’t replied! DOOOOOOM! _ ”

“ _ Rrraargh! Your friends are only pretending to like you! _ ”

Okay, that last one stung a little, but hardly scream-worthy.

“ _ Boo! Exit to your left! OOooooOOOOoo! _ ” A voice over the loudspeaker bellowed, before the cart returned to the lit corridor of the queue.

“Well… that was… something.” Oz muttered to himself. How could  _ that _ be considered scary?

“Truly horrifying!” Miranda sighed, stepping out of the ride with Oz right beside her. “You were so brave, Ozzy! You didn’t even scream!”

“Oh! Well, I… I-I’d face a hundred horrors if it meant I’ll be by your side!” He stammered with a laugh, backed with a flimsy confidence.

“Really?! That’s so sweet!” The princess chirped, hugging him even tighter.

“Y-yeah. Come on, let’s get some cotton candy…” Oz said, smiling as he walked alongside Miranda, with a little extra spring in his step.    



	27. "Thank You"

“This has to stop.” Vicky said to Brian and Amira, as they peeked around the corner to spot Oz and Miranda at the bench. There he was, handing over another another gift to the mermaid…

“That’s like the third present this month. How much do you think he spent on that?” Amira asked with an exasperated sigh.

“Knowing Oz, too much.” Brian answered.

“He’s gonna spend himself dry at this rate.” Vicky murmured. “He’s been breaking his back for her, but we’ve never seen her do anything for Oz… it’s not right.”

“Shush, I can’t hear ‘em.” Amira said, nudging the other two to eavesdrop on the couple.

“Oh, Oz, this tea knife is just lovely!” Miranda chirped, inspecting the silverware in the box. 

“I did my research this time.” Oz laughed. “It was the best one I could get my hands on.”

“It will be a marvelous addition to my collection!” Miranda said. She let out a whistle, and a serf rushed to her side, opening a case full of elaborate forks, knifes, and spoons. The princess gently placed Oz’s gift among the others, and the serf shut the case before leaving them alone again.

And for a while… the two just sat there on the bench.

“Should we tell him now?” Brian asked, as the three friends kept spying on the couple.

“No… wait until they seperate.” Vicky answered.

“Sssh! They’ll hear us!” Amira whispered once more, keeping the two undead from blowing their cover.

“Oz…” Miranda began. “I… wanted to say ‘thank you’.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.”

“I’m… I’m not talking about the knife.”

“Huh? What are-”

“Oz… thank you for being in my life.” Miranda said. As she looked back up to him, and the sweet smile on her face turned to something shockingly serious.

Oz had never seen Miranda like this. It was almost scary... “M-miri? Is… is everything okay?”

Miranda’s gaze turned back to her hands, nervously fidgeting.

“In all of our years together, I realized that I’ve never gotten anything for you. You spoil me.”

“I mean, I don’t mind spoiling you.”

“Well _we_ certainly do.” Vicky whispered to herself before Brian and Amira shushed her again from their hiding place.

“And that’s not to say I mind  _ being _ spoiled. However, I feel that I must do something for you in return.” Miranda confessed. “For all that you’ve done for me, and all that you will do for me, I must repay the favor.”

“Miranda, no. You don’t.” Oz argued. “I do what I do because I want to… because I love you. No obligation other than seeing you smile.”

“And I want to see you smile too, despite the fact that you lack a mouth.”

“Mir-”

“No. Your acts of compassion shall no longer go unrewarded!” Miranda decreed, unaware that Oz’s three best friends were inching closer to get a better ear and eye on what was happening. To say they didn’t expect what happened next would be an understatement.

Miranda had gotten up, standing in front of Oz for a moment before kneeling down in front of him. Wait… was she…?!

“Ozwald… you have no last name, so I would you like to take mine.”  It felt like time had stopped. Oz could feel the air around him go motionless as Miranda pulled a small velvet box from her purse… with the most beautiful silver ring he had seen.  "Will you... marry me?"

This was happening. This was actually happening!

“SAY YES, YOU IDIOT!” Oz heard three voices shout in unison… as his three best friends blew their cover. Miranda then turned her gaze to the trio.

“Oh my… I had no idea we would have an audience.” She mused.

Oz was just as surprised to see his friends all behind him… figuratively and literally.

“Yes.” Oz said, his hands grasping Miranda’s own. “I will, no question!”

All three of them cheered as Miranda slipped the wedding band onto Oz’s finger and he embraced her in a loving kiss.

“Amira, are you… crying?” Brian grinned, as the three watched this scene unfold before them.

“N-no… shut up!” The djinn sniffed. “I’m just… glad he got around to it.”

“Aww! She cares after all…!” Vicky teased.

Oz made his way over to his friends, with Miranda close beside him.

“So, the scaredy-cat’s tying the knot.” Brian smiled. “About time, buddy. You deserve it.”

“I’m so happy for you!” Vicky squealed, pulling them both into a hug.

“V-Vicky! My ribs!” Oz gasped as Vicky quickly let them go.

“Sorry! OH! I call dibs to be the wedding planner!”

“Uhh… why you?” Amira asked as the two girls began to walk off.

“Well, I’ve planned everyone’s weddings, including my own, not to mention yours, Brian’s, I could go on…” Vicky answered.

“Come on, let your girl have a chance! I’ve got some killer ideas!” Amira retorted as Brian tagged along behind them, giving his bro a thumbs up, leaving the pair on their own.

“Miranda… I… I don’t know what to say.” Oz said, a tear coming to his eye.

“You don’t need to say a thing.” Miranda answered. “This is just my way of saying ‘thank you’.”


	28. Wedding Night

If you told Oz a girl had a crush on him all those years ago, the first thing that would have happened was that he would start panicking. Sweating, fast breathing, flushed cheeks… his typical response to the thing that seemed way too good to be true.

And now, nearly ten years after graduating high school, he had the same response. Here he was, moments away from marrying the love of his life, and his anxiety was killing him. Figuratively, of course.

“Take it easy, Oz.” Liam instructed. “You’re going to sweat a hole in your suit.”

“I-I just… I can’t believe it… I’m getting married!” Oz gasped, squirming in his chair. He could barely look at his reflection in the mirror while Damien ran a comb through his hair.

“Yeah, and you’re going to look fucking fabulous as shit!” The demon cursed. “Sit still, you twerp!”

“Oz. Listen to me, man.” Brian said, putting his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “You’re ready. You can do this.”

“I-I know. I know I am.” Oz stammered, taking a few deep breaths. “I just… I never thought this would ever happen!”

“Hey, save the tears for the altar.” Damien muttered.

Oz’s fingers couldn’t stop fidgeting with the cufflinks on his tuxedo. His eyes drifted over to Liam’s own hand… and the ring on his finger. By the end of the night, he’d be wearing one just like it.

“Was it this scary with Vicky?” Oz asked Liam. “You remember, don’t you?”

Liam sighed, but returned a light smile. “How could I forget? I felt _exactly_ the same.” He answered. “But trust me when I say this… when you see her, walking down the aisle… you’ll forget you were ever worried.”

“It’s starting!” Scott bellowed, his tail wagging excitedly. “Come on, buddy! Let’s get you up there!”

The werewolf practically picked up Oz out of his chair and over his head, taking him out to the walk down the aisle as he hurriedly pinned his corsage to his jacket.

“That suit cost two grand!” Damien bellowed. “Don’t ruin it, you mutt!”

 

* * *

 

Ah, love. Truly, a wonderful thing. Without it, we wouldn’t be here. Not even you. Yes, _you_. I, the narrator, am in fact, referring to the particular individual who is reading this. And if you’ve made it this far, congrats, and thank you.

But we’re not finished yet. I still have a couple to wed. Oh, yes. Who else but the narrator to serve as the night’s pastor?

Well, I’ve been through enough weddings to know that they’re longer in real life. We’re here for that one special moment in time, so let’s not dilly-dally too long; just enough to set the scene.

Oz’s closest friends lined up at the sides as bridesmaids and groomsmen. Each one beaming with a smile for the soon-to-be married couple. Brain as the best man, and Polly as the maid of honor.

In one half of the pews, was the Vanderbilt Royal Family. All of Miranda’s family, extended and otherwise, attended to see their lovely princess. Even the serfs were permitted to watch; from the very back rows.

On the other side, was, well, the rest. Valerie, the Interdimensional Prince, Aaravi, the Coven, Zoe… even the Wolfpack got dressed up for the occasion. Seeing all this support from the friends around him, in his most important moment, filled him with a warm joy. If he had the opportunity right now, he’d thank each and every one of them for being here.

But he was hardly listening as I read off all the formalities. Let’s be honest, you’re here for the good stuff.

The sound of the great doors creaking open soon caught the attention of everyone at in the pews. A hush rolled over the crowd, and Oz was the last to turn around and face his bride.

Walking down the aisle, escorted by her father, was Miranda. Even under the veil, he could tell she was beaming. In her hands was a bouquet of yellow roses, matching the color of her white gown, adorned with gold and silver trim.

Oz saw more than just a princess. He saw a queen. _His_ queen.

And his heart stopped… for a moment. The look on his face was priceless. As she approached the altar, Oz didn’t even blush. He wasn’t flustered, anxious, or embarrassed anymore. He was just in awe…

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered to her.

The rings were brought up to the altar, and I cleared my throat. “Do you, Ozwald, take Miranda to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, to have and to hold?”

“I do.” He answered, never faltering, and never stuttering. There was not a drop of uncertainty in his voice.

“And do you, Miranda Vanderbilt, take Ozwald as your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health, to have and to hold?”

“I do.” She replied, her gaze never leaving Oz’s white eyes.

I reached out to them, and they each gave me their hands. I placed the rings onto each of their fingers… and spoke those magic words everyone was waiting to hear.

“You may now kiss the bride.”


End file.
